VIBE

This is a bona fide steakhouse with a "polished Manhattan" vibe. Charming bistro décor including glossy designer tabletops, massive flower bouquets, and curvy suede booths draws a steady crowd of suits and banker types along with hardcore steak zealots. Guests can sit at the long zinc bar or opt for the plush couches in the lounge in exchange for regular table dining. The kitchen adds a bit of modernity to traditional steakhouse fare; apart from beef, the menu offers seafood, salads, onion rings, blackboard specials, and a range of steak sauces (from horseradish to Béarnaise).

CROWD

The dining room hosts expense accounters, hungry tourists, and all-around steak lovers.

WHAT WE WOULD WEAR

Dressy-ish, business attire might include a sleek skirt with open-toed pumps.

GO HERE WITH

Coworkers

WHY WE LIKE IT

This isn’t your grandfather’s steakhouse; it’s more about polish than tradition and testosterone.

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

Because of its location, the restaurant tends to get overrun by power suits and business lunchers. The crowd is not as varied as some of New York’s more hip venues.

GOOD TO KNOW

The initials stand for the restaurants former, more formal name, “Bistro Laurent Tourondel” (after the chef himself). The second floor plays home to a space available for private parties of 18-30 and comes with a plasma screen, DVD player, and surround sound. Laurent Tourondel operates a food empire, with restaurants such as BLT Prime, BLT Fish, BLT Burger, and BLT Market among others in New York and elsewhere.

OTHER LOCATIONS

Washington DC; San Juan; White Plains, NY; Los Angeles; Miami; Scottsdale, AZ; Hong Kong; Atlanta; Charlotte; Honolulu

CLOSEST COMPS

BLT Prime (New York); Wolfgang’s Steakhouse (New York)

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