VIBE

Once upon a time, mega chef Alain Senderens ran a triple Michelin-starred restaurant called Lucas Carton and was drifting into retirement as the much-loved grandfather of Nouvelle Cuisine. But then, much to the shock of the haute cuisine community, he decided to shake things up a bit by busting a completely unexpected culinary move: he handed back his three stars (which he’d held for close to three decades), turned his restaurant’s elegant 18th century premises into a mod ’70s-style lounge (think lots of gauzy curtains and curvy banquettes) and toned the menu down from haute cuisine to “brasserie de luxe.” The food is now much more accessible (instead of mortgaging your house to afford it, you’ll just need to sell your car) and the crowd a bit more young-and-fun, but the menu remains as inventive as ever.

CROWD

A power-hungry mix of expense accounters from the finance, fashion, and publishing in-crowds, as well as a smattering of curious gastronomes.

WHAT WE WOULD WEAR

Despite being billed as “relaxed,” the dress code is conservatively smart casual. We’d wear a sharp little day dress and designer flats.

GO HERE WITH

A date; parents; clients or colleagues

WHY WE LIKE IT

The food is just as delish as it was back in the Lucas Carton days, but much, much cheaper. We like coming for a sophisticated lunch and a hearty dose of people watching.

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

The service can be extremely haughty. They refused to seat us at a slightly larger table away from the entrance for party-size reasons (as in, it was a table for three+, not just two), which they went back on when another party of two came in.

GOOD TO KNOW

If possible, try to score one of the banquettes on the side (where the power scene holds court) rather than the exposed seats in the center. The upstairs bar and tapas joint Le Passage Bar is more casual and decidedly cheaper. The restaurant and bar are closed for the month of August.

CLOSEST COMPS

Gaya Rive Gauche (Paris); Providence (Los Angeles)

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to Paris