Harry Cipriani

Nautical wood paneling lends a yachty aura to this restaurant, the Cipriani family crown jewel. The tables and chairs are so small that they seem designed for life below deck, yet the crowd still packs in nightly. The chef does turn out exquisite pastas, veals and salads. Standouts: the artichoke and avocado salad, the veal piccata and homemade raviolis. Prepare yourself for intense people-watching though. The crowd truly verges on Felliniesque with extreme hairdos, face lifts and implants on parade. A typical night’s gathering might include Charlie Rose, Mica Ertegun, Linda Wachner and various wealthy widowers in the company of much younger Russian ladies.