Marché

Description:

• If you've ever longed to run away and join Cirque du Soleil, spend an evening at Marché. An Americanized, oversize take on the French bistro, Marché offers a convivial (though noisy) dining experience, enhanced by the phantasmagoric decor and bustling bar scene that blends into the dining room. Although the hipsters who thronged here when it opened in the mid-1990s have long since moved on, the restaurant still retains a certain theatrical flair; multilevel seating, brightly colored umbrellas that hang from the ceiling, and velvet seats in shades of red and yellow add to the circus atmosphere, as do the clang of the open kitchen and enticing scents from the rotisserie. The food -- a mix of bistro favorites -- is fine, but the decor is the real draw here. The spit-roasted chicken is quite popular, and you can't miss with the New York strip au poivre partnered with a mound of shoestring frites. Chops and creative seafood entrees round out the menu. Simple, classic desserts and a cheese plate provide a refreshingly light finale to the meal.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

CitySearch

•  French Food 2007 – Editorial Winner

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010