Café Luxembourg

For a bistro with a touch of attitude, service was more than considerate, even if some dishes underperformed. Best was the first: a substantial appetizer of salmon tartare ($15) in a tantalizingly tangy-sweet yuzu mustard vinaigrette. A skate wing ($25), served over snap peas, artichokes, and pearl onions, was moist and meaty; lamb shank ($32) was good, though one order required more-thorough heating. As for dessert, a caramelized lemon tart (about $8) was very, very tart indeed; even when filled with ice cream, profiteroles (three for about $8) shouldn't require a serrated knife.

Café Luxembourg
200 West 70th St.
212-873-7411