Balthazar

Not only is this iconic, French brasserie still trendy, but the kitchen rarely makes a false step. At dinner, the place is perennially packed with rail-thin lookers dressed to the nines, sliding fresh baked bread through the remnants of their frisée aux lardons (bacon-shallot salad with soft-poached egg) and slicing filets of steak au poivre or duck confit. The food is consistently top-notch, and the service is surprisingly friendly. But it's the three-tiered seafood platter that casts maybe the most impressive shadow of any dish in town. Don’t hate the patrons because they’re beautiful; just join them.