A classic New York success story, Pastis was one of the first hot spots here, back when the now-booming Meatpacking District was still a bit sleepy. Today this ever-popular restaurant still packs in a fashionable flock from breakfast through dinner, and celebs sightings are a given.

Brought to you by restaurateur Keith McNally, Pastis transports diners back to the south of France circa 1960 with its large decorative mirrors, long zinc bar, bistro tables and walls lined with vintage Pastis ads. The menu includes all the French classics that locals love (skate, onion soup gratinée, steak frites, moules frites—it’s really all about the frites here). As you'd expect, the cocktail list leans heavily on the restaurant’s namesake anise-flavored aperitif, which originally hails from Marseille.

www.viamichelin.com