Principe

Step in off the street and it will come as no surprise that Principe's space was once a classic SoHo art gallery. Indeed, this stylish restaurant honors its past while adding a dramatic, modern take (think concrete and industrial touches punched up with mother-of-pearl panels and glittering chandeliers). It's all very chic in a Milan-meets-Manhattan way. 
The food is equally elegant. Dishes include cubes of ruby red tuna with blood orange over daikon; mafaldine tossed with sweet rock shrimp in a lemony beurre blanc; and roasted strawberries with mascarpone and balsamic, all effortlessly illustrating this kitchen's simple-but-sophisticated sensibility.