Ladies who lunch are creatures of habit. They have their favorite table at celeb-laden Fred’s at Barneys, their favorite drink at Saks Fifth Avenue’s femme-friendly Cafe SFA and plenty of time for languid two-hour midday meals safely ensconced in the luxe egg chairs at Bergdorf Goodman’s BG restaurant.
But department stores are shaking up people’s routines with a stable of chic contemporary cafes that give frenzied shoppers a respite, without all the pomp and circumstance of the shops’ flagship restaurants.
Bergdorf’s 5F soda shop, Saks’ SnAKS, and Barneys’ newly opened Genes@Co-op cafe all cater to this younger, on-the-go crowd.
And talk about the future. Genes boasts “Matrix”-like tables embedded with extra-large touchscreens from which customers can order. SnAKS offers all of the food and none of the lines its big sister restaurant suffers from, while 5F is renowned for having one of the best low-cal fro-yos in town.
“I can’t tell you how many requests we’ve had since Fred’s opened asking, ‘Is there anyplace we can go just to get a cup of coffee? Something quick,’ ” says Barneys chef Mark Strausman. “I love Fred’s. But sometimes you just want a sandwich.”
So in November Barneys opened Genes@Co-op, which has communal tables.
“My mother will probably never go to Genes,” admits Samantha Solmonson, 28, an Upper East Sider who works in digital media.
That may be the point.
Here’s the skinny on the latest crop of cafes — perfect for a quick bite while spring shopping.
Genes@Co-op at Barneys
Location: Eighth floor
View: The fancy-shmancy buildings of 61st Street
Decor: Futuristic. “It’s really high-tech and glossy,” says patron Samantha Solmonson. But the kinks are still being worked out: “I wanted something custom — skim milk in my latte — and I had to call the waitress over anyway.”
Clientele: “I’ve seen Japanese avant-garde fashionistos and Brooklyn hipsters and then just some local eccentrics,” says Simon Doonan, Barneys’ creative ambassador-at-large. And there’s plenty of celeb sightings: Busy Philipps, Steve Tisch, Sharon Osbourne and Michelle Trachtenberg.
Most popular dish: The Gene salad, a diet-friendly medley of field greens, arugula, endive, tomatoes, artichokes, onion, Italian tuna and Parmesan, $21. Most expensive menu item: A few of the dishes top out at $21, including Genes Chicken Pot Pie.
Cheapest menu item: Biscotti plate, $3
Dieting damsels: “I tell the servers, instead of minus-ing everything, find out,” says chef Mark Strausman. “You basically just want lettuce and turkey? OK, I can do that.”
Guy-friendly: Genes boasts 19 beers ($6 to $10). The plethora of brews, combined with the extra-long communal table, makes Genes a great place to score a date. “It’s really boy-meets-girl,” Strausman says. “You might meet your next husband there,” Doonan coos.
After you eat: Scour the racks for 10 Crosby, Derek Lam’s more affordable line, and all the floral-printed denim you want.
SnAKS at Saks Fifth Avenue
Location: Fifth floor
View: Rockefeller Center
Decor: Super-modern — all white with splashes of soft purple. Not so soft? The roaring soundtrack. “The music’s a bit loud,” admits Claudia Silver, executive fashion director at Robb Report, who snuck in on her lunch break for the chopped salad with grilled chicken.
Clientele: Mother/daughter pairings, business meals, trios of girlfriends gabbing and late-lunching tourists
Most popular dish: “Maine lobsta rolls” for $15. But don’t fret about filling up so much you’ll strain your Rag & Bone jeans. “The portions are snack-sized, so it’s not an overwhelming meal,” assures Suzanne Stemper Johnson, general manager of the NYC Saks.
Most expensive menu item: Lobster-and-shrimp cocktail with avocado and mango-horseradish dipping sauce, $28
Cheapest menu item: Mini-cupcake, $3
Dieting damsels: “The waiters will ask you if you want to have bread brought to the table,” instead of just serving it. “Because for a lot of women, it might be too tempting,” says Johnson.
Guy-friendly: Bar-side flat-screen TVs blast sporting events on the weekend and CNN on weekdays for the dedicated dude avoiding dressing-room drama.
After you eat: Try on some girly Alice + Olivia frocks and slick duds from 3.1 Phillip Lim.
Bar 5F at Bergdorf Goodman
Location: Fifth floor
View: Sadly, there are no windows in the immediate vicinity.
Decor: Old-school soda shop, minus the kitsch, plus some “Gossip Girl”-inspired glamour smack in the midst of shopping.
Clientele: Fur-clad women donning sunglasses, Long Island tourists and even Chelsea Handler
Most popular dish: The Gotham Salad, containing diced chicken breast, ham, Gruyere, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, beets, iceberg lettuce and Thousand Island dressing, $15
Most expensive menu item: Lobster and soba noodle salad (available Fridays only), $16. It’s in such high demand that “people call and reserve them,” says Michael Perricone, director of food service for Bergdorf Goodman.
Cheapest menu item: French macaron, $1
Dieting damsels: “Ninety-eight percent of our customers have one topping with their frozen yogurt,” says Perricone. “Hardly anyone has more than that.” Linda Weiler came to Bar 5F from Long Island just for the low-cal fro-yo. (She doubled-checked with the waiter that it was, indeed, 150 calories per ounce.)
Guy-friendly: “At 7 at night, there might be a guy having some beer and hummus, and she might be having some wine and still be shopping,” says Perricone.
After you eat: Load up on Elizabeth & James hippie-chic clothes.
dschuster@nypost.com