Right in the shadow of the Empire State Building, on a quiet block of Fifth Avenue, Bar Breton is so low-key you might walk past it without even realizing what you’re missing. Once you walk through the door, though, you are instantly transported to France, specifically Brittany and its wonderful culinary world of the savory buckwheat crepes called galettes, here gluten-free and made with organic flour. Try the one with house-smoked salmon, horseradish crème and shallots or opt for a heartier one made with braised lamb shoulder or filled with lobster and applewood smoked bacon. Chef Cyril Renaud, who gained a loyal following at Michelin one-star Fleur de Sel and also runs Leapfrog Caterers, doesn’t just turn out the favorite dish of his native Brittany, however. Bar Breton’s entrées include grilled salmon, braised short rib, mahimahi and a rather special burger with house-ground brisket and short rib on a house-made bun.

Chicken liver and bacon pâté
Duck leg confit and romaine salad
BB burger
Any of seven savory galettes
Caramelized apple crepe with Devonshire cream view full menu here

There’s something special about the wooden booths—for two and for four—that run along the bar on their own black-and-white tile floor. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re elevated, which somehow creates the effect of sitting in the dining car of a train. But the front- and backroom tables, mixed and matched with vintage Thonet and other café-style chairs, are just as good.

That wonderful chandelier you encounter upon entering Bar Breton—yes, the one with the myriad colored wine and cocktail glasses suspended by their stems—is the creation of designer François Chambard, another Breton.

lunch: Mon.–Fri. 11 AM–4 PM
dinner: Sun.–Thurs. 4 PM–10:30 PM; Fri.–Sat. 4 PM–10:30 PM
brunch: Sat. 10 AM–4 PM; Sun. 9 AM–4 PM

$16 (BB burger) to $22 (mahimahi)
galettes: $14 (house-smoked salmon) to $21 (lobster carbonara)