if your vision of Korean cuisine involves clothes-permeating barbecue smoke and rice that sizzles to a delectable crunch on the bottom of its too-hot-to-touch bowl, WaWa might come as something of a newfangled surprise.

Just to prove that you can't judge a boîte by its cover, Sciusci ("shoeshine" in Sicilian) offers Italian-style culinary comfort in a chilly, almost Nordic space.

With a sly wink, Upstairs at '21' targets diners seeking pure, retro luxury—and a little guilt with their pleasure.

Brasserie 8 1/2 is restaurant dining at its most Fellini-esque: a subterranean stage where the scene, not the food, is the main attraction.

The brick-walled, tin-ceilinged spuntino is less than a restaurant and more than a bar.

At Cru, the only thing more impressive than the 65,000-bottle wine collection is the food.

A tiny new West Chelsea spot does the tapas tradition proud.

The Mermaid Inn is an elegant East Village bistro swimming with fresh, unfussy seafood.

Now that the power-lunching scene at the "21" Club is dead, its food can't be politely overlooked anymore. So get that kitchen a spice rack.

Kittichai brings a taste of Bangkok, with a dash of international fusion, to Soho.