TRIBECA, MANHATTAN

Frenchette

The Balthazar alumni's own place — daily French menu, natural wine, duck frites worth the trip.

Frenchette was opened in 2018 by Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson, the chefs who ran the kitchens at Balthazar and Minetta Tavern for years, and it reads as their own statement: a deco-leather room in Tribeca, a French menu that changes daily, and a wine list devoted almost entirely to natural producers. It won the James Beard award for best new restaurant in its first year and has settled into the city's permanent upper tier.

The cooking is richer and looser than old-school bistro fare — duck frites is the dish people cross boroughs for — and the bar seats are among the best in Manhattan for a two-person celebration that does not want a white tablecloth.

Editor’s tip

If reservations are gone, arrive early and try for the bar — the full menu is served there and the seats are the room's best.

Make an evening of it — beautiful stops nearby

TRIBECA, MANHATTAN

Staple Street Skybridge

A private sky-bridge over a one-lane street — downtown's favorite wrong turn.

Photography Location · Free

~5 min on foot

SOHO, MANHATTAN

Greene Street cast-iron blocks

The world's best run of cast-iron facades, still impersonating marble after 150 years.

Architectural Gem · Free

~7 min on foot

Also in the neighborhood

TRIBECA, MANHATTAN

The Odeon

The neon-lit brasserie that invented downtown — still serving martinis under its own legend.

Date Night · $$$

TRIBECA, MANHATTAN

Locanda Verde

The Greenwich Hotel's corner taverna — ricotta crostini, big windows, and Tribeca at its calmest.

Romantic Restaurant · $$$

Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 11, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.