Romance is on the menu at this long-time French fave (it opened in 1977) that, remarkably, hasn't lost its edge over the years. The food is as contemporary as what you'd get in the best Parisian boites today. Case in point: the raw hamachi with truffles, a wonderful melange of earthy and briny; or the decadent beef tenderloin sided by bone marrow ravioli. These dishes, and a number of others, are on offer in either 3-, 4- or 10-course tasting menus; the wine pairings come from a cellar with several hundred choices. And for once, prixe fixes aren't a burden because you'll want to linger in this elegant setting with its white table cloths, its superb staff (formal but friendly)and towering flower arrangements.

-Pauline Frommer