Lee Circle Restaurant

This artsy, contemporary hotel restaurant off Lee Circle makes the most of its landmark view: A tiered dining room with striking backlit bar faces gently arcing full-height windows. Marble, glass and metal dominate a sparsely decorated interior that's easy on the eyes but sometimes hard on the ears. Instantly amiable waitstaff play the buddy card, but can drop the ball on busy nights.

Fans of the uptown standby Gautreau's will spot a few favorites on this Creole-centric menu--including the tangy lemon icebox pie and triply-rich fried oysters topped with melted brie and a beurre blanc drizzle. Influences run around the globe--gussied-up shrimp and grits, wasabi-cured salmon--and while execution can sometimes be uneven, when the kitchen's on it really shines. Succulent pan-fried redfish meuniere plays well with crawfish-studded baby succotash. Wild mushrooms bring out rabbit's heartier flavors in a tender fricassee. Fig ice cream with buttery pound cake makes for a tasty, simple finish.