Le Colonial

There’s no other Vietnamese joint in the city with a room quite as pleasant, sophisticated or styled as the dining room here. Dishes gain from French-colonial-Vietnam flair, meaning grilled trout gets a complex curry sauce and wok-prepared lemongrass chicken is kicked up with opal basil and red chilies. Regulars rely on house favorites like crispy shrimp beignets and the lean, juicy ginger-marinated duck. They also know to head upstairs to the dim, sexy lounge for an after-dinner drink.