Jules Bistro

Habitués at this chic enclave may have scored high-paying jobs uptown, but they still prefer to play downtown-style. Candles flicker, tables are separated by groovy beaded partitions, and the music has a swinging, loungey feel (lively groups like to be near the bar; quieter diners head for the narrow back room). There’s nothing nouveau about the food, though. Jules’s offerings are unapologetically hearty—beef stew simmered in red wine or spiced lamb shanks with figs. Dover sole is just flown in from France, according to the affable waiter, and the filet mignon special must beordered medium-rare.