The Nice Price

Allegretti 46 W. 22nd Street [betw. 5th and 6th Aves.], 212-206-0555

I’ve always drawn a distinction between uptown and downtown “fine dining.” The former is geared toward a more conservative clientele, with an emphasis on formality and execution; the latter is more laid back in both décor and presentation, although the construction of a dish is sometimes slapdash. But from the taste bud’s perspective, downtown dishes are capable of equally outstanding results.

Allegretti opened a few weeks ago on West 22nd Street in Chelsea and seems to be angling for a place in between the two. The restaurant is the eponymous venture of Alain Allegretti, a former chef at Le Cirque who has trained with the likes of Alain Ducasse, Alain Chapel and Jacques Maximin. The mood is somber and refined, and the clientele is older and more sophisticated; but the dress code is relaxed, and the scale of the place is cozier and more intimate than an uptown restaurant of similar stature (or price point).

With cream-colored walls and blue cushioned seats, the space has been compared to the interior of a yacht. If your yacht is the Queen Mary, that is. To my eye, there’s nothing remotely nautical about the décor, which is crisp, clean and layered in a neutral palate of soft yellows and beiges, with dark-wood details as an effective counterpoint. Lighting is diffused and mellow, characteristically “downtown sexy,” but there’s an uptown attention to place settings: white tablecloths, several rows of silverware and preset water and wine glasses.

A native of Nice, Allegretti has crafted a menu that draws heavily on the cuisine of the French Riviera, with notable Italian incursions. The bill of fare is a Provencale fantasy of meat and fish dishes, with soups, salads and a few pasta dishes as well. And for the most part, his creations succeed, which is important given the alarmingly high prices.

I started with the octopus a la plancha ($17): four tender tentacles, equally sized and evenly spaced on the plate, each layered with an angular assemblage of sliced apples, tomatoes, potato wedges and lettuce, like a three dimensional still-life contrived by Braque or Picasso. The octopus meat was perfectly tender, with a hint of tension in each bite, and with a rich, solid flavor that bridged the dish’s other disparate ingredients.

My friend Tony tried the heirloom tomatoes ($19): yellow and red tomato quarters surrounding a generous dollop of burrata cheese, creamy and mild. Was it good? I watched Tony dig in and then take smaller and smaller bites as his plate cleared. “I don’t want it to end,” he said, then, in what must have been a painful sacrifice, offering me the final piece.

The main dishes were also accomplished, if not transcendental. Like the octopus appetizer, the Mediterranean rouget ($34) was deftly composed. The fish was pan roasted and placed on a bed of bite-size zucchini medallions, with a saffron-infused broth ladled on top. The fish was tender and rich, but the dish as a whole suffered from too uniform a flavor, as if a wide brushstroke of butter had been applied just before it left the kitchen. The result was surprisingly heavy, and I had a hard time finishing my plate. Tony’s duck magret ($34), with a summer bean and radish salad, was better. Ordered medium rare, the meat was lean, each slice rosy in the middle and almost crispy around the edges.

The service at Allegretti is attentive, with an army of waiters catering to every need. It’s nice to be pampered, but the servers may need more practice to orchestrate their plan of attack. Confusion is understandable (if not entirely acceptable) for big groups of demanding New Yorkers placing special orders and sharing appetizers. But with an undemanding table for two, you expect them to get it right. Our servers marched confidently out of the kitchen with our mains and then mixed them up, serving me the duck and Tony the fish, to the chagrin of the maitre d’ lurking over their shoulders. Give the place a few more weeks to work out the kinks in the menu and service, however, and Allegretti may carve out an important niche as a beacon of uptown sophistication with a downtown twist.