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Diners at Arté Restaurant are often repeat customers, some fifteen-year veterans with claims on their own tables. Twin fireplaces cozy up winter nights, and sidewalk tables and a shaded back garden make the best of pleasant weather. An older, affluent crowd seems at home in a suburbanlike setting of beige walls, white tablecloths, and elaborate potted plants. Though the trappings suggest red-sauce Italian, the cooking is much more subtle. Simple, fresh preparations rely on olive oil and Mediterranean herbs: Tender branzino comes with a lemony sauce, topped off by deep-fried clusters of rosemary and sage; and a tangy roasted tomato sauce bathes the frutta di mare pasta. Portobello alla griglia, a favorite of neighbor Ed Koch, stars meaty grilled mushroom caps in a savory brown sauce that’s been infused with the essence of white truffles. The entrée list is dominated by a half-dozen veal variations, augmented by nightly specials. True decadence is reserved for dessert and the Vesuvius, a concoction erupting with white and dark chocolate ganache, truffle bombs, and caramel, flowing over a cheesecake, brownie, and chocolate-mousse base. Not for the timid or calorie-shy. — Ethan Wolff

Portobello alla griglia, $10; penne alla vodka, $16.50; branzino aromatico, $23