Brothers Bruce and Eric Bromberg opened Blue Ribbon Brasserie at 97 Sullivan Street in 1992, and it has run until 4am most nights since — the table where off-duty cooks land after their own services end. The fried chicken (about $39) and the beef marrow with oxtail marmalade (about $32) are the dishes people cross town for; the raw bar anchors the rest. This is the SoHo original, not the Brooklyn outpost, and it remains a Bromberg room.
The Kitchen
Bruce and Eric Bromberg both trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before opening the first Blue Ribbon on Sullivan Street on 3 November 1992; it became the seed of the wider Blue Ribbon group. The brothers were named finalists for the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur award in 2011.
The menu is deliberately broad, but the dishes that built the name are specific: the matzo-meal fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy (about $39), and the roasted beef marrow with oxtail marmalade and challah toast (about $32). The raw bar and the shellfish platter carry the rest of the table, alongside the king crab cocktail (about $30), rack of lamb and paella.
The kitchen's signature is endurance: it was built so cooks finishing late shifts elsewhere could still order marrow and a tower of ice at 2am.
The Room
The Sullivan Street room is small — roughly fifty seats — dim, and close-packed, with a bar that fills after midnight. It is loud and convivial rather than hushed, there is no strict dress code, and it accepts both reservations and walk-ins. The energy peaks well after most SoHo kitchens have closed; this is a late room by design.
Best for a Late Team Dinner
Book it for a late group dinner because the kitchen runs to 4am, the shareable raw bar and marrow suit a long table, and the SoHo room is built for the after-hours crowd. Come after a show or a late shift, order the seafood tower and the fried chicken for the table, and expect to stay. For a guaranteed table, reserve on OpenTable rather than relying on the walk-in line.
Not for
Skip it for a quiet early dinner — the room is small, loud and built for after-midnight crowds, and the original no-reservations ethos means waits at peak hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blue Ribbon Brasserie in SoHo still open?
Yes — the original Blue Ribbon Brasserie at 97 Sullivan Street in SoHo is open and runs late, with the kitchen serving until about 4am seven nights a week. This is the 1992 flagship; it is distinct from the Brooklyn location. The Las Vegas, Boston and other Blue Ribbon rooms are separate venues.
What is Blue Ribbon Brasserie famous for?
It is famous for its matzo-meal fried chicken, the roasted beef marrow with oxtail marmalade, and the raw bar and shellfish platter, plus its 4am closing time. Opened in 1992 by the Bromberg brothers, it became a clubhouse for off-duty chefs eating after their own shifts, and that late-night, industry-favourite reputation still defines it.
Does Blue Ribbon Brasserie take reservations or is it walk-in?
Both. It takes reservations through OpenTable and its own site, but it also keeps the original walk-in spirit and seats people as space allows. At peak hours and after midnight there can be a wait. For a group or a guaranteed table, book ahead; for a late solo or two-top, the bar often has room.
What should I order at Blue Ribbon Brasserie?
Order the fried chicken (about $39) and the beef marrow with oxtail marmalade (about $32) — the two dishes that made the name — and add something from the raw bar, such as the king crab cocktail (about $30) or the shellfish platter. The menu is broad, but those are the reasons to cross town.
What are Blue Ribbon Brasserie's hours?
The SoHo flagship is open nightly with the kitchen running until about 4am, per the restaurant. It is one of the few serious New York kitchens still cooking after 2am, which is why it has long been a refuge for restaurant workers finishing late shifts. Arrive after midnight for the room at its liveliest.
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