Craving escargots, soupe à l’oignon gratinée, or confit de canard? SoHo and Hudson Square have plenty of restaurants to sate your appetite for French food: Le Coucou, La Mercerie, Raoul’s, La Sirène…. Which is not to say you can’t find plenty other cuisines to choose from, in every price range.
You can’t talk about SoHo’s French restaurants—or the neighborhood’s restaurants in general—without mentioning Balthazar. Launched by Keith McNally in 1997, it looks like a model Parisian bistro, complete with brass accents and bentwood chairs, and offers the menu of one as well. Many proclaim its onion soup gratinée the city’s best; moules frites and boeuf bourguignon with potato Anna are other perennial favorites. And everyone should savor weekend brunch here at least once, if only to indulge in the croque madame and a sticky bun (or two).
Mercer Street Hospitality, the group behind Lure Fishbar, Bistrot Leo, and several other fashionable eateries, opened Bar Tulix in March 2022 to bring Mexican-style seafood to SoHo. The menu does include short ribs with salsa macha, roasted duck breast, and other options for those who shy away from fish. But dishes such as masa-encrusted bass with chipotle mayo, grilled octopus with hazelnut romesco, and spicy tuna tostada will win over even those who think they don’t like seafood. You can choose from a half-dozen margaritas (including one made with chili-infused Grand Marnier), among other cocktails, to accompany your meal.
Taking inspiration from the other side of the globe is Momoya SoHo, which also opened in March 2022. The sister restaurant to Momoya on the Upper West Side and Momoya Chelsea, it offers an eight-course kaiseki menu that includes sushi, sashimi, grilled fish or Wagyu beef, and a banana tart. An omakase sushi dinner is available as well, along with à la carte sushi, tempura, and other cooked entrees. You could easily make a meal of the appetizers, which include yellowtail ceviche, Kumamoto oysters, and homemade sesame tofu with tempura sauce. What’s more, nearly two dozen types of sake are available by the glass, carafe, or bottle.
Can a city ever have too many Italian eateries? Marco Britti, a native of Puglia, Italy, certainly doesn’t think so. He opened Mareluna in February 2022 to showcase contemporary versions of his country’s classics: a three-pepper cacio e pepe, strip steak alla Diavola, grilled prawns with squid-ink pearl pasta and pistachio pesto. Come by for brunch to savor the panettone French toast with the house Bellini, which is flavored with blackberry and lavender.
While many SoHo restaurants look overseas for inspiration, Linden celebrates American cuisine, with an emphasis on seasonal, local ingredients. The restaurant is within the Arlo SoHo hotel, though it opened in November 2021, roughly four years after the hotel did. A recent menu included striped bass with diver scallops, hanger steak with chimichurri and fried shallots, and spiced cauliflower as entrées. Thyme Parker House rolls are a must to begin your meal, just as the éclair with a seasonal cream filling is an ideal ending. Also of note is the raw bar, which includes a sampler of oysters prepared three ways and a spicy hamachi ceviche.
