Le Coucou
SoHo
A neon red bird with loopy, playful handwriting spells out the name of this temple to Gallic fare. Dreamt up by Daniel Rose and Stephen Starr, Le Coucou is an ode to French classics of lore, where the gold-rimmed plates arrive saucy, beautiful, and decadent. “Tout le Lapin” presents rabbit cooked three ways, quenelles de brochet sit in a creamy pool of Champagne beurre blanc, and ruby-red lobster bastes in a thick sauce au poivre. There’s as much opulence in the menu as in the space itself—think a gilded bar, swinging chandeliers, white linens—and should you find yourself seated next to the open kitchen, you’ll be able to observe toque-wearing chefs perform a most meticulous ballet.