Brasserie Les Halles

The story

The steak tartare was prepared at tableside, to order — a small, almost theatrical act that defined what Les Halles was. José de Meirelles, Philippe Lajaunie, and Jean-Michel Diot opened the brasserie at 411 Park Avenue South in 1990, naming it after the historic central wholesale marketplace in Paris. A butcher shop specializing in French cuts occupied part of the space. Anthony Bourdain arrived as executive chef in the late 1990s, and his book Kitchen Confidential made the place legendary. Les Halles closed in August 2017, leaving behind a cookbook and a reputation larger than the room.