Union Bar & Kitchen

West SoHo is relatively untraveled, a frontier whose warehouses have been turned into high-end furniture stores, architectural offices, tech start-ups and music clubs. Union Bar & Kitchen is within the upscale Hudson Square residential area, and while it caters to affluent residents and commuters, it's casual and offers good value. The modern, high-ceilinged space is appealing for after-work drinks and fresh-shucked oysters while watching a game broadcast behind the bar, or for nestling in the dining area over a restorative dinner of rotisserie chicken with creamed spinach and whipped garlic potatoes. Owner-executive chef Jonathan Renert has lived in Japan and California, which accounts for the perfect, panko-crusted fried chicken marinated in ginger on the bar menu and the satisfying San Diego-style fish tacos.