Sant Ambroeus -- Elegant Italian in SoHo
/(Soho)
265 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012
Tel. 212-966-2770
My first introduction to Sant Ambroeus was in Southampton, followed by the Upper East Side, all of which are indicative of its undeniable stamp of family friendliness. So imagine our happy surprise when a Sant Ambroeus SoHo opened right in the neighborhood on 265 Lafayette! It’s literally kitty-corner to Delicatessen (also a good family dining spot), but without the hustle and bustle.
Inside, the restaurant has a quiet and laid-back bistro setting (congruent with your downtown vibe), whilst maintaining its shiny and upscale decor – so perfect for meeting your uptown (or out of town friends) who want a piece of SoHo but without all of the nuttiness that goes with it. My personal favorite is the graffiti by the entrance; as it makes for a perfect amalgamation of street edge meets classic style.
So now onwards to the food. I've always found the food at Sant Ambroeus to be consistently high quality, if not slightly pricey. What you're paying for, in addition to good service and delicious, well put-together Italian fare, is the elegant and understated ambience that accompanied your dining experience. The entrance is very airy, spacious, and open -- we had zero problems parking our stroller, and munchkin was a happy chappy throughout.
Baby Tips
- Where possible, try to sit at the tables closer to the bar (by the front). It's more spacious and pleasant, plus who wants to finagle a stroller past other dinners and furniture?
- We were offered delicious bread right away, which we are big fans of (good distraction tactic for the nuke)
- The restaurant never gets too crowded from my experience, and it’s great for people watching on Lafayette
- Pleasant energy, good vibes, there's usually always people sitting at the bar which I like, and enough white noise to drown out your lovely (but potentially noisy) baby
- They do not have high chairs, but do have a booster seat (though no seat belts). So this is one option if your kid is a bit bigger and/or well behaved. Otherwise, you can always bring your own baby seat (more on this later!), and/or park munchkin in his/her stroller like we did. The restaurant staff was more than accommodating.
Hope you enjoy!!! Oh, and don't forget to scope out all of the cute boutiques on Prince Street after you're done.