Instant critics be damned. Two months after opening, Lever House has earned a spot among New York’s top power-dining palaces.

Lamu—named for an island off the coast of Kenya—is African only in name. But maybe an exotic moniker is exotic enough.

Crispo
240 West 14th Street
(212-229-1818).

Blue Hill dispensed with all the flash that dominates the current scene, and still got my attention; the equally subdued Tocqueville is a labor of love.

Charlie Palmer's new spot, Kitchen 22, may lack the elaborate artistry of Aureole, but with a well-crafted -- and recessionproof -- menu, consider it a holiday gift to yourself.

Bond 45’s family-style cooking and service evoke Italian restaurants past.

City Bakery 3 West 18th Street (212-366-1414). Open 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; dinner, beginning shortly, will be served 6 to 11 p.m. Appetizers, $6 to $11; entrées, $9 to $20. All major credit cards.

Bouillabaisse 126 brings bistro charm, and a fine fish stew, to Union Street.

Rolando Beramendi's Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village Bellavitae isn’t especially glamorous or inventive. Which is precisely the beauty of it.

Lights, camera, dissatisfaction! If you found Rocco’s reality show frantic, you may find the real “Restaurant” over (and under) whelming.