Best brunch places in Soho: The weekend starts here

Back Forty West

• Rated as: 3/5
• Price band: 3/4
• Critics choice

Long before every New York chef began righteously touting their tiny carbon footprints, Peter Hoffman—a pioneer in Gotham’s locavore movement—was already celebrating his favorite fishermen, farmers, butchers and cheese makers at his Soho restaurant, Savoy. But after more than two decades operating ?on its cozy corner, his once-groundbreaking eatery began to show its age. In June 2011, Hoffman shut the place down, ending a 21-year run—an uncommonly long streak in the famously

Balthazar

• Price band: 2/4
• Critics choice

Not only is the iconic Balthazar 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. But the bread is great, the food is good, and the service is surprisingly friendly. The $99 three-tiered seafood platter casts the most impressive shadow of any dish in town. The frisée aux lardons is exemplary. Roasted chicken on mashed potatoes for two, délicieux. Skate with brown butter and capers,

Delicatessen

• Price band: 2/4
• Critics choice

From the folks who brought us Chelsea’s Cafeteria comes this loud, aggressively fashionable Soho spot. Its reimagined takes on comfort food include Reuben fritters—Swiss cheese, corned beef and kraut fried into golden nuggets—and crunchy cheeseburger spring rolls, with ground beef and melted American cheese. For dessert try the black-and-white sundae: three scoops of ice cream, black-and-white cookies, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles, skinny jeans be damned.

Dominique Ansel Bakery

Dominique Ansel honed his skills as executive pastry chef at Daniel for six years before opening this American and French patisserie. Caramelized croissants, miniature pastel meringues and madeleines make up the sweet selections at the counter. But the café also serves savory offerings like roasted butternut squash soup and a pork club sandwich with pickled eggs, tomatoes and spicy mayo on sourdough.

Jack's Wife Freda

• Price band: 2/4

Keith McNally protégé Dean Jankelowitz (Schiller's, Pastis, Balthazar) is behind this morning-to-evening café. The 40-seat restaurant—sporting dark-green leather banquettes, brass railings and marble counters—serves homey fare, like Jankelowitz's grandmother's matzo ball soup made with duck fat, a skirt steak sandwich served alongside hand-cut fries, and piri-piri-hot-sauce-marinated chicken kebabs. In the morning, find Stumptown coffee, homemade croissants and full breakfast