Le Rock

No stranger to crowds, the team behind Frenchette has quickly found its footing on the ground floor of bustling Rockefeller Center. Dim lighting blankets this elegant, Art-Deco space where a large bar up front mixes and stirs at a fast clip. They have good reason to be speedy: This is one of the more refined restaurants to open in the area in years, and the crowds have caught on immediately. In line with a French brasserie, the menu offers familiar trappings: seafood platters, hearty pâtés, classic sauces like au poivre and vin jaune, and, of course, delicious profiteroles smothered in chocolate sauce. Adding to the fun is a welcome bit of tableside showmanship for dishes like leeks vinaigrette and a signature vanilla cake soaked in génépy.