Chef Matthew Kirkley has energized this stunning, spendy and sedate dining room, tucked off of the lobby of The Belden-Stratford hotel. It’s a room filled with Macassar ebony columns, plush couches and white leather chairs, ones comfortable enough to pass a long, luxurious dining affair in comfortable repose. The touted bread service --- behold bacon-infused rolls --- endures, as does the finer-than-fine approach to dining. Choose between the seven-course prix-fixe menu ($140) and a 13-course luxury tasting for a hefty $210. Expect the wow-factor to be high. We’ll never look at “watermelon” the same way again; here, a dish of tomato aspic and avocado-topped tuna tartare, stippled with caviar, mimics its visual appeal with precision. Yet, the pristine flavor of the ingredients remains at the forefront. Much of the menu comes from the kitchen tanks, which hold blue lobsters from Brittany, abalone, langoustine, geoduck clam and giant European brown crabs. As meals progress, fabled shabu-shabu remains a possibility; if you’re lucky, the extra broth will be poured atop a tangle of house-made noodles. Dining here is truly an experience, one furthered by a remarkable selection of cheeses and desserts like chilled yuzu soup with raspberries and mascarpone sherbet. The extensive wine list, under the guidance of Richard Hanauer and Allison Frey, caters to both high rollers and (surprisingly) those with limited budgets, with plenty of avant-garde options in between. However you cut it, though, this is a special occasion experience --- and you’ll be amply rewarded for taking the plunge.
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