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Set on one of the city’s least appetizing strips—a stretch of Eighth just a few blocks from Port Authority—this incongruous French brasserie is a haven amid peep-show storefronts and fast food. Stepping inside the dining room—all gleaming mahogany and stained glass, with ornate brass chandeliers suspended from nineteen-foot ceilings—induces a sort of culture shock. So does the classic Gallic soundtrack (Yves Montand, Edith Piaf) and the soft murmur of dining patrons, so different from the blaring car horns and huffing foot traffic outside. Though the classic bistro fare is neither especially creative nor well priced, all-day dishes like steak tartare (served in a capery, puck-shaped mound with the egg already mixed in), steak frites, and grilled salmon with a purée of roasted root vegetables are tasty and well executed. A good bet for lunch is the trio of brioche mini-burgers—the first includes traditional beef, the second chicken with sautéed criminis, and the third tuna with caramelized onions. It’s enough food that you can probably skip dinner. — Sarah Gold

Steak tartare, $17; trio of mini-burgers, $15; grilled salmon, $18