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New York City's Most Romantic Restaurants

Le Colonial

In a city where quality Vietnamese cuisine is scarce, this atmospheric veteran continues to define the genre, at least in midtown.

Food

(7)

Ambience

(9)

Service

(8)

Value

(8)

The Scene

Arching palms, lazy ceiling fans, moody lighting and haunting black-and-white photos of colonial Vietnam may make you feel like putting on a white suit and riding off to the poppy plantation, or planting the seeds of revolution. It's a popular place, and at peak hours you may be dispatched to the upstairs to a caliginous tropical lounge. Throughout it all, the charming staff handles things with aplomb.

The Food

Over the years the cooking has lost some of its explosive zest--for example, a gloppy seafood crepe--yet many enticing dishes remain. A signature starter, spring rolls filled with shrimp, pork and mushrooms, is brittle and tasty; the "spicy" beef might not satisfy the fire-eating crowd, but it is otherwise fresh and colorful. Some of the old standbys are enticing: tender ginger-marinated duck with a tamarind dipping sauce, and grilled loin of pork paired with a terrific mango and jicama salad tinged with wasabi. For dessert, get anything with the prefix "lemon" or "lime."

149 E 57th St
New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 752-0808
Fax: (212) 752-7534