While the décor feels a bit over the top at times – like a Riviera resort stop trying really, really hard – the vibe is splendid and the overall New York dining experience is a decidedly adult-friendly salve for the kid-saturated Upper West Side. It’s a bright, friendly Mediterranean brasserie in a neighborhood starving for one, with one of the city’s best al fresco scenes that draws a great mix of newspaper-sharing couples, unassuming professionals, and classy intellectuals who swear by the talent of chef Andy D’Amico, formerly of the charming Sign of the Dove. Try it for brunch, bustling though it may be, or head in on a weekday night for a nice selection of appetizers (leeks vinaigrette, roasted beets and chèvre); thin niçoise pizzas; golden snapper with lemon sabayon, artichokes, and peppers; or the five-napkin burger with sauteed onions, Comte cheese aioli, and fries. The cherry on top of it all: the sublime service; these people were chosen with care, for sure.