RESTAURANTS: GO, CONSIDER , STOP

Edible enlightenment from our eatery experts and colleagues Monie Begley, Richard Nalley and Randall Lane, as well as brothers Bob, Kip and Tim.

● Koloman

Ace Hotel, 16 West 29th St. (Tel.: 212-790-8970)

A contemporary French restaurant where, as its website states, “chef Markus Glocker lends Parisian creativity with Viennese tradition.” From the warm pumpkinseed focaccia to the beef tartare with crispy quinoa to the chilled green asparagus soup with mussels to the tiny, sweet beau soleil oysters with mignonette cocktail sauce, the food is fabulous. For main courses, the Berkshire pork schnitzel with potato salad and lingonberries, the lobster burger with a salad of iceberg and market greens and the grilled wild mushrooms on olive oil crushed potatoes with sauce vierge are each sublime. Don’t pass on the baked Lübeck marzipan with chocolate and smoked sea salt, the apple strudel or the duck egg crème brûlée.

● Eli’s Table

1413 Third Ave., at 80th St. (Tel.: 212-717-9798)

Eli Zabar is an iconoic purveyor of food, and his food emporium, Eli’s, is superb. That’s why the swings in fare at his adjacent restaurant, Eli’s Table, are so curious. To start, the zucchini fritti are thin and crispy, the prosciutto and melon is delicious and the tuna tartare is glistening and spicy. But a large mound of roasted cauliflower arrives completely mushy and inedible, and the veal Milanese is overcooked and stiff as a board. Maryland softshell crab is somewhat greasy along with the slightly greasy French fries. The housemade pappardelle ragù is quite tasty. Eli’s signature milehigh lemon meringue cake is sublime, as is the chocolate tart. The seesaw from quite good to quite not good is a caution.

● The Blue Bar Restaurant & Lounge at The Algonquin

59 West 44th St. (Tel.: 212-840-6800)

Although Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley might recognize the room, they’d be at a loss to enjoy lunch, as alcohol isn’t served until 3 p.m. (post–Labor Day, bar hours resume at noon). The menu is straightforward. For starters, fried zucchini chips are a great thing to share, and the French onion soup is delicious. The Brazilian avocado toast is spicy and tasty, and the Asian salad with bean sprouts, radish, jicama, orange, baby spinach, arugula and a ginger soy vinaigrette is a light alternative to the gargantuan turkey club. For dessert, the chocolate dome is worth the extra calories.

● The Blue Mezze Bar 1480 Second Ave., at 77th St. (Tel.: 646-346-6161)

Delicious and varied choices of notsosmall plates and unique craft cocktails are the specialties at this bustling Mediterranean restaurant. The setting and décor are “open air.” From the cold mezze offerings, begin with the Three Mezze Tray, choosing from among tzatziki, hummus, avocado feta spread, stuffed grape leaves, baba ganoush and eggplant shakshuka, any of which can be lathered on pita bread. From the hot offerings (there are a dozen), try the authentic minidumplings filled with lamb or the zucchini pancakes, both served with garlic yogurt. Also sample the panseared saganaki Greek cheese with tomatoes and lemon. There are nearly 20 entree offerings, from grilled branzino to lamb skewers to a mixed grill for two. Also available are grilled shrimp, a salmon burger and a falafel platter of croquettes filled with chickpeas, garlic and greens. Don’t miss a taste of the unique baklava with its unusual mix of chocolate, milk and pistachio.

● The Ribbon

20 West 72nd St. (Tel.: 212-787-5656)

A comfortable and unpretentious place for a satisfying meal near Central Park. An assortment of dressed eggs or classic French onion soup will get you off to a good start. The fresh tagliatelle is first rate, as is the Ribbon steak (a 10ounce hanger) with green peppercorn sauce and fries, which has a far lower price than most steakhouses charge. There are many wonderful temptations for dessert: sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel and rum raisins, chocolate chip bread pudding with hot fudge and vanilla ice cream or tres leches and caramel sundae with candied walnuts.

● Match 65 Brasserie

29 East 65th St. (Tel.: 212-737-4400)

This brasserie gives one the feeling of being transported to Paris. The tarragon dip with warm artichoke is a tangy change from the usual vinaigrette or drawn butter. Yellowfin tuna tartare is beautifully presented, and the avocado and soy seasoning lends a delectable piquancy. The chicken paillard is pounded paperthin and grilled to perfection. The panna cotta and profitéroles vanish off the plates.

● Toloache

166 East 82nd St. (Tel.: 212-861-4505)

As summer sizzles, few things are more alluring than a chilled margarita or cervezas and fine, creative Mexican food. Chef Julian Medina’s cuisine creations are masterful. Begin with delicious chunky guacamole, the perfect queso fundido with chorizo, or the quesadilla de camarón (shrimp, chile de arbol salsa and Chihuahua cheese with pineapplered onion salad). Taco choices are many, from calabacita (zucchini, corn and spicy kale) to langosta (spicy lobster and avocado) to suadero (beerbraised brisket with horseradish crema). There are almost a dozen entrees, from the classic carne asada to the tumbada (a paella of chicken, chorizo, scallops, shrimp and octopus in an achiotehabanero sauce). Save room for sinful desserts: perfect flan, classic churros with dipping sauces or tres leches de limon (lemon cake soaked in three milks, with meringue and berries salsa).