Smith Restaurant

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene
This East Village brasserie makes the most of its former Pizzeria Uno space. Subway-tile walls and retro black-and-white portraits set a smart Gotham tone without being too gimmicky, and while the restaurant may not be as hip as other neighborhood entries, it offers an all-embracing attitude toward its clientele.

The Food
The kitchen maintains consistency with brasserie plates that are tweaked enough to keep the meal interesting. A pot of mussels benefits from a mustard-laced broth, while the string bean salad has a vivacious snap, enhanced by fresh ingredients like ricotta salata. Meat dishes threaten to be heavy but stay light on their feet, with a Parmesan crust lending extra spark to a juicy lamb schnitzel, and a red wine sauce subtly amplifying the flavor of tender braised short ribs. Desserts are limited to creative riffs on sundaes; the bread pudding variety offers a grown-up twist on the banana split.

Hits: While drink prices elsewhere creep into the teens, the cocktails here are all under $10.

Misses: Service runs pretty smoothly considering the size, but sometimes entrees come out before the apps are cleared.