Affordable sit-down restaurants that are not sandwich chains like Au Bon Pain, Cosi and Café Metro are scarce in mid-town. So for better or for worse, La Bonne Soupe doesn’t have to work too hard to pack them in.An unassuming faux-French auberge near popular manicure shop Bloomie Nails and hip Shoreham Hotel, LBS is the culinary equivalent of a working actor; it delivers the goods, but diners will be hard pressed to remember th...

Affordable sit-down restaurants that are not sandwich chains like Au Bon Pain, Cosi and Café Metro are scarce in mid-town. So for better or for worse, La Bonne Soupe doesn’t have to work too hard to pack them in.An unassuming faux-French auberge near popular manicure shop Bloomie Nails and hip Shoreham Hotel, LBS is the culinary equivalent of a working actor; it delivers the goods, but diners will be hard pressed to remember the particulars of what they ate. Filled crepes, huge salad bowls, grilled meats and French-inspired mainstays like the popular onion soup and steak frites fill the void left by kebab stands and expense account restaurants.

Much bigger than it appears from the outside, LBS still fills up quickly so expect a wait starting around 12.30. But once you’re seated, you can eat and make it back to work within your lunch hour.