It took me a while to come around to Bridges. A critic likes to lift the veil on new finds, not just hit the “like” button on a viral smash. But this stylish It-restaurant has been overflowing with It-people and It-hype from the moment its doors opened in Chinatown last September. Reservations locked up quickly, and the buzz could have out-shrieked a car alarm. You don’t need a restaurant critic to help you find a place like that. Just follow the sirens.
When I finally decided to go see what all the hoopla was about, I realized that this glamorous hot spot was in fact just a front for a piercingly intelligent and original restaurant, with a kitchen whose dexterity and finesse handily outshone the dining room’s influencer glow. A meal at Bridges can feel like discovering that your hot date also has a sizzling wit and a Ph.D. Four meals later, I feel it’s time to introduce Bridges to the folks.
The look and feel of Bridges are the fruits of a collaboration among the chef Sam Lawrence (seated at the table), the co-owner Nicolas Mouchel (sitting above) and the creative director Josey Stuart.Credit…Marissa Alper for The New York Times
Let’s start with the casually elegant room, designed by Billy Cotton. It’s done up in wolfish grays and subtle beiges, and its Brutalist chic is accessorized with chrome-framed chairs and terrazzo-like flooring. Low-slung sconces cast the sort of indirect light that makes everyone look like an A-lister. A glass-brick wall between the dining room and the bar evokes the power-suit 1980s, while the very 2020s crowd on either side is swathed in quiet luxury and loud conversation.
This stark décor is canny scene-setting for the chef Sam Lawrence’s spare compositions, plated without filigree or flourish. Because hiding beneath all this minimalism is a richly layered cuisine that runs from the rustic (a generous slice of tête de cochon) to the baroque (beets, pomelo and caviar, dazzlingly seasoned with vinegar-doused walnut praline). Bolstered by classic technique, Mr. Lawrence alludes to French, Basque, Cantonese and Japanese traditions with imaginative precision. In dish after dish, he comes up with something novel and fresh.
The topping on the Comté tart changes with the seasons; in spring you’ll find morels and sweet green peas.Credit…Marissa Alper for The New York Times
