Brasserie (CLOSED)

Executive chef Luc Dimnet has returned to Brasserie, set in the landmark Seagram Building, where you’d never know that it has been in business since 1959. An extreme makeover in 2000 helped smooth out the rough edges. The design also has a universal appeal: You’ll see liquor bottles behind frosted glass, cantilevered booths and a shallow glass staircase leading to the tables—a miraculous balance of slick elements that’s neither too cold nor too mod to fly in midtown.