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That dapper man at the anonymous double doors might seem to be guarding a juke joint, but aside from dressing his waitress in a cigarette-girl getup, loading the cocktail menu with expertly mixed classics like the Sazerac, and putting some Coltrane on the speakers, Lesly Bernard was careful not to make his follow-up to Clementine’s and Pravda pure throwback: Just look at the photos on the cheery yellow walls and you’ll see that Parliament shares space with Bessie Smith and Big John Patton over clubby U-booth alcoves that recall Lenox Lounge. And though bottled Sugar Hill nods toward Harlem, don’t look for chicken and waffles on the menu: The dainty Monte Cristo is made with egg-dipped brioche and plated with blackberry preserves, while the French onion soup, accompanied by homemade spicy potato chips, pairs a spicy dipping jus with a grilled-Gruyère sandwich made from a garlic-rubbed country loaf. There are more traditional small dishes too, but you’re unlikely to be chowing on ribs if you’ve snagged a seat in the red-lit back enclave, under a skylight and next to a roaring stone fireplace. — Daniel Maurer

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