Restaurant in New York City, United States
SoHo's Indonesian option that actually delivers.
Wayan is the most credentialed Indonesian restaurant in SoHo, holding a Michelin Plate and three consecutive Opinionated About Dining Casual North America rankings. Chef Cédric Vongerichten's French-Indonesian menu, built around shareable small plates and bold entrees, makes it one of the more interesting weekend brunch bookings downtown at the $$$ price point.
If you're comparing Wayan to the standard SoHo weekend brunch options, the choice isn't close. Most Spring Street restaurants at this price point deliver solid but familiar territory. Wayan delivers an Indonesian-French menu from Cédric Vongerichten that holds a Michelin Plate (2024) and landed at #170 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list in 2024. For a first-timer wanting something more interesting than eggs Benedict in a crowded downtown room, this is the booking to make.
Wayan opened with a clear atmospheric identity and has kept it. The room runs loud and energetic from the moment weekend service kicks in at 11:30 am. Warm teak paneling, live plants, and candles give the space a density that works in its favor during the day, when natural light softens what becomes a full party by evening. The bar area at the front is close-quartered and noisy; the dining room in the back follows the same energy. If you are hoping for a quiet weekend catch-up over a long brunch, this is not the right room. If you want a lively, high-energy SoHo Saturday with food that rewards attention, it absolutely is.
First-timers should know that Saturday and Sunday service starts at 11:30 am, which gives you a reasonable window before the room peaks. The weekday lunch window opens at noon. Arriving close to opening is the practical move if atmosphere matters to you, both to secure a table without stress and to experience the room at a manageable volume before the afternoon crowd builds.
Wayan's menu sits at the intersection of Indonesian technique and French influence, which is a combination that could easily read as forced but holds together here. The OAD listing specifically cites escargot rendang with garlic-herb butter and toasted brioche, lobster noodles with black pepper butter, and charred chicken lombok as dishes that deliver. The format runs across satays, seafood-led small plates, and more substantial entrees, which makes the menu genuinely flexible for groups with different appetites at weekend lunch. You can graze across small plates or anchor the meal around a main.
For a brunch context, the format rewards ordering broadly. The small plates structure means two people can move through four or five dishes without the meal becoming expensive or overwhelming. The $$$ price range puts Wayan in the mid-upper tier for SoHo, but well below the city's tasting-menu circuit. The cocktail menu is noted as thoughtful and contributes meaningfully to the overall experience, which matters on a weekend afternoon when you want the meal to extend rather than end quickly.
Wayan's Opinionated About Dining ranking has moved from #144 in 2023 to #170 in 2024, and sits at #215 in the 2025 list. The movement is worth understanding in context: OAD's casual North America list is large and competitive, and maintaining a ranking inside the top 215 across three consecutive years indicates consistent execution rather than a single strong season. The Michelin Plate recognition adds a separate credential from a different evaluative framework. For a first-timer, this combination tells you the kitchen is reliable, not just occasionally impressive.
Wayan carries moderate booking difficulty by SoHo standards. Weekend brunch slots on Saturday and Sunday fill faster than weekday lunch, so plan to book at least one to two weeks ahead for weekend service. Weekday lunch from Monday through Wednesday at noon is your easiest entry point if your schedule allows it. The bar seats at the front are worth considering if you are dining solo or as a pair and want a walk-in option, though availability is not guaranteed on busy weekend afternoons.
The address is 20 Spring St, New York, NY 10012, which puts it in the heart of SoHo and easily reachable from multiple subway lines. Full hours run Monday through Sunday from midday or late morning through late evening, with Thursday, Friday, and Saturday service extending to midnight for those who want to continue the evening. For the full picture on eating and drinking nearby, see our full New York City restaurants guide, our full New York City bars guide, our full New York City hotels guide, our full New York City wineries guide, and our full New York City experiences guide.
If you want to compare Wayan against the Indonesian dining options available elsewhere in the world before booking, Locavore NXT in Ubud and Cumi Bali in Singapore represent the benchmark for the cuisine internationally. Wayan is doing something distinct from both: the French-Indonesian hybridity is a deliberate editorial choice, not a concession to a Western audience.
Quick reference: 20 Spring St, SoHo, NYC | Weekend brunch Sat–Sun from 11:30 am | $$$ | Book 1–2 weeks ahead for weekends | Google rating 4.4 (1,267 reviews) | Michelin Plate 2024 | OAD Casual North America #215 (2025)
For weekend brunch, book one to two weeks in advance. Saturday and Sunday slots from 11:30 am fill quickly, particularly in the main dining room. Weekday lunch from Monday onward is easier to secure on shorter notice. If you are a pair willing to sit at the bar, walk-in availability is possible but not reliable on busy weekend afternoons in SoHo.
At $$$, yes, for what it delivers: a Michelin Plate-recognized kitchen, three consecutive years on OAD's Casual North America leading list, and a menu that goes beyond the standard SoHo mid-range. If you are comparing on value against the city's $$$$ tasting-menu restaurants like Atomix or Eleven Madison Park, Wayan costs considerably less and does not ask you to commit to a fixed format. For Indonesian-French cooking at this credential level, the price is fair.
The menu's small-plates and entree structure makes it well-suited for groups of four to six who want to share across the table. The dining room is energetic, which works in a group's favor. Larger parties should call or book well in advance, as the room is close-quartered and reservations for bigger tables are harder to hold on short notice. Solo diners and pairs are well-served at the bar.
Yes. The front bar area is a legitimate option for solo diners or pairs, and the cocktail program is specifically noted as a draw. The bar runs loud, particularly as the afternoon progresses into evening, so it works leading if the energy is what you want rather than something you are tolerating. For a quieter drink, the early-afternoon window before the room fills is your leading timing.
Wayan does not operate on a tasting-menu format. The menu covers satays, small plates, and larger entrees, which you order from directly. This is an advantage for diners who want flexibility and a shorter meal window. If a structured tasting format is what you are after, Atomix or Per Se are the relevant comparisons at a higher price point and commitment level.
It works well for a celebratory lunch or an anniversary dinner where the energy of the room is part of the appeal. The Michelin Plate recognition and OAD standing give it enough credential to feel like a considered choice rather than a default booking. It is less suited to occasions that require quiet or privacy, where the close-quartered room and high noise level will work against you. For a SoHo special-occasion brunch with a lively atmosphere, it is among the stronger options at this price tier.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayan | Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #215 (2025); Located in ever-fashionable SoHo, this high-energy Indonesian restaurant is a party in the front and in the back. Warm teak paneling, live plants, and candles set the stage at the close-quartered bar and in the equally rowdy dining room. Chef/co-owner Cédric Vongerichten strikes his own balance of Indonesian and French inspiration, and a menu of satays, light and seafood-heavy small plates, and robust, nicely spiced entrees offers wide appeal to an equally diverse crowd. Escargot rendang with garlic-herb butter is a delight with batons of toasted brioche. Lobster noodles with black pepper butter hit a notch higher on the boldness scale, while the charred chicken lombok is comfort on a platter. A thoughtful cocktail menu adds fuel to the fun.; Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #170 (2024); Michelin Plate (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #144 (2023) | $$$ | — |
| Le Bernardin | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Atomix | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Masa | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Per Se | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
Comparing your options in New York City for this tier.
Book at least one week out for weekday lunch; two weeks minimum for Saturday or Sunday brunch, which kicks off at 11:30 am and fills fast. Wayan carries moderate booking difficulty by SoHo standards, but weekend slots are the tightest. If you're flexible on timing, a midweek lunch reservation is easier to land.
At $$$, Wayan earns its price point through a combination of OAD recognition (ranked #215 in 2025, #144 in 2023) and a Michelin Plate. The menu spans Indonesian-French small plates through to bold entrees, which gives the bill more range than a single-format tasting room at the same price. For SoHo, that combination of critical standing and broad menu appeal makes it a defensible spend.
Wayan works for small groups, but the room runs loud and close-quartered, which suits parties of four to six better than large gatherings. The high-energy dining room is better framed as a lively group dinner than a quiet celebratory table. For larger parties, call ahead to confirm table availability, as the layout does not favour spreading out.
Yes. Wayan has a bar area and the full menu is available there. The bar is close-quartered and runs as loud as the dining room, so expect an active atmosphere rather than a low-key perch. It is a practical option if you cannot secure a dining room reservation, particularly on weeknights.
Wayan does not operate as a tasting menu format. The menu is structured around satays, small plates, and entrees, which means you build the meal yourself. At $$$, the a la carte approach gives you more control over spend than a fixed tasting room would, and the OAD ranking confirms the format holds up critically.
Wayan works for a celebratory dinner if your group suits a loud, energetic room rather than an intimate setting. The Indonesian-French menu from Cedric Vongerichten is distinctive enough to feel deliberate as a choice, and the OAD and Michelin Plate credentials give it credibility as a considered booking. If you need a quieter room for a milestone dinner, the atmosphere here will not suit it.
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