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Manhattan is filled with French eateries that tout themselves as “ze neighborhood bistro,” but few fit the bill as well as the family-owned Le Boeuf a la Mode, which has been slinging steak frites and other brasserie classics since 1962. This genteel spot on the eastern fringes of the UES owes its long life to its silver-haired regulars, many of whom arrive with generations in tow. Inside, red-leather banquettes wrap around linen-clad tables topped with fresh roses. Murals adorn the peach walls—one depicts a calf coyly dressed up “a la mode,” sporting a bonnet with feather plumes. The engaging maitre d’ Martial guides diners to rustic country pate, its richness nicely offset by crunchy sweet gherkins. Succulent duck flaunts crackly, smoky skin; a bone-white filet of sole arrives glazed in browned butter and sprinkled with thinly sliced almonds. And, the best is last: chocolate mousse fills an entire plate and melts on the tongue like sweet foam. — AnneLise Sorensen

Daily, four courses; $42

Roast duck with fruit sauce, $28.50