Profile

Wall and Water is a hotel restaurant for financial district scene-makers: Glimpse pretty young things drinking colored beverages from martini glasses while chatting up cuff-linked businessmen in the lobby bar, and don’t make the mistake of asking the black-clad attendant at the floating station in the entryway for a table; confusingly, it’s the raw bar, not the hostess stand. In the open kitchen, pots and pans are thrust in and out of the oven, while outside, diners fork chunks of smoked trout onto flat rye-bread toasts. The globally inspired menu of appetizers and mains lacks anything with much personality, though the crowd here doesn’t seem to mind. The cast-iron melted-cheese starter comes with garlic potatoes that are excellent for dipping, but the plate overall doesn’t pack a satisfying bite. Mains are better: The skirt steak comes perfectly cooked to order on a bed of celeriac purée with a side of onion marmalade. A whole Maine lobster is de-shelled before presentation and plated with olive and herb sauce. Both dishes could really use a starch, so think about ordering something on the side. Skip over the pastry-style desserts in favor of a cheese selection or housemade ice cream, or maybe end the meal with a Scotch the way the Wall Street ballers do. — Lauren Bloomberg

Smoked trout, $14; Marinated red and white anchovies salad, $12; Whole Maine lobster, $28