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Named for its location in the Paramount Hotel, Mezzanine embodies former owner Ian Schrager’s accessible-chic ethos and designer Philippe Starck’s playful theatricality. Tiny tables for two, tucked into alcoves, overlook the dramatic lobby’s sweeping silver-leaf staircase, aglitter with rows of little candles. The mahogany-paneled lounge, with white sofas and comfy chairs, is ideal for nibbling and canoodling. The Library Bar, with parallel zinc-topped bars and a high, book-lined shelf, links the two dining areas. Though the glitterati that once flocked here have moved on to glitzier grounds, well-heeled road warriors, foreign tourists, theatergoers, and executives from MTV and Condé Nast have adopted the chic, swank spot as their own. The eclectic Mediterranean- and Asian-accented menu aims for global variety: Pizzas and pastas share the limelight with steaks, quesadillas, and Thai, South American, and Indian specialties, like Mussaman curry, a pleasant, mildly spiced stew of beef, potatoes, peanuts, and coconut milk first brought to Siam by Muslim traders from India. Oven-baked Chilean sea bass, wrapped in salty prosciutto, is silky and flaky; it’s accompanied by toothsome wild-mushroom risotto. Mezzanine may no longer be trendy, but its kitchen is deft and its ambience still more than striking. — Michael Anstendig

Calamari fritti, $18; mussaman curry, $26; Chilean sea bass, $32