Brasserie's quieter younger sister is a subterranean restaurant with some visual and culinary charms of its own. The dramatic staircase releases you into a spacious cocktail lounge with black leather sofas, where drinks made with unusually flavored vodkas are offered. The dining room is lined with serious modern art, and the menu is flush with the creative cooking of Julian Alonzo. Nothing Fellini-esque, just solid contemporary French cooking. The frites alone are worth a trip to midtown. Jacket required. Subway: R, W to 5th Ave.