Floret

In many ways, Floret is a standard hotel restaurant. It serves roasted chicken and a whole fish, and the big space tends to have a mix of families planning their NYC tours and semi-professional-looking people drinking wine during two-hour lunches. Oh, and it’s in a hotel - a new one called Sister City on Bowery. But the food is a big step up from most hotel restaurants. There’s veal breast with earthy, spongy morels, lamb ribs with a big side bulgar salad, pasta covered in creamy stracciatella cheese, and a fried bread appetizer that’s the best thing here. It’s like like a big, round churro, with ricotta for dipping, and it’s something you need to go out of your way to eat as soon as possible. You probably won’t have any trouble getting a table in the dining room, but try to sit on the outdoor patio, which has great people-watching thanks to its location next to the elevator that leads up to Last Light, the hotel’s popular rooftop bar.