Cuisine: Though it maintains a separate identity from the celebrated Minibar—the six-seat, dinner-as-theater cafe it houses—Café Atlántico’s mostly Nuevo Latino menu increasingly borrows from chef José Andrés’s flings with laboratory cuisine (foams, froths, and the like) and “deconstructions.” Occasionally, dishes are too tamely seasoned.

Mood: What initially seems an assortment of spaces with mosaiclike splashes of color and glimpses of mirrors gradually becomes intriguing: a view of Minibar here, the open main kitchen there, and the sidewalk parade. And despite the atrium effect, the restaurant isn’t overly loud.

Best for: Weekend brunch, called Latino dim sum on Sunday; a first date (seasonal cocktails, mojitos, guacamole prepared tableside); pretheater dining that leans on the appetizer menu; postshow warmers.

Best dishes: Tender curls of squid and scallops with two rices—one crisped, the other bathed in coconut cream—and drizzled with squid-ink oil; a rich double bill of Malbec-braised beef cheeks and crisp-seared sweetbreads; conch fritters with avocado-jícama ravioli; grilled octopus given unusual spark by softened strawberries; duck confit with a mincemeatlike combination of apples, raisins, pine nuts, and sherry; salmon with its own roe and Parmesan froth; classic bass Veracruzano with fresh lime juice.

Insider tips: The menu is full of jokes and quotation marks, but feel free to ask for clarification; the staff is smart and interested.

Service: •••

Open Tuesday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Moderate.

See all of 2009's 100 Best Restaurant