3. Mr. Donahue’s

This tiny retro lunch counter has the attentiveness to atmosphere of a period movie. The lighting has a diffuse, analog softness. The music sounds like a Jonathan Schwartz radio broadcast with the soliloquies about Sinatra edited out. The most remarkable bid for nostalgia is the food proffer: an old-fashioned main course like roast beef or a nearly filler-free meatloaf of dry-aged beef, with a good sauce and a choice of two carefully considered sides for $19.99. The counter stools and handful of table seats aren’t as hard to come by as you’d expect, possibly because Mr. Donahue’s isn’t particularly celebratory. It has a contemplative, almost wistful mood. If that happens to be your mood, too, I can’t think of a more congenial place to eat well downtown. ★★; 203 Mott Street, NoLIta; 646-850-9480; mrdonahues.com.

4. Le Coq Rico

The Alsatian chef Antoine Westermann has built a poultry-focused bistro that’s more compelling and carnally satisfying than any modern steakhouse. His star dish is rotisserie chicken, and his secret is buying old breeds raised by farmers who let them feed and mature longer than usual. The meat has a depth of flavor you rarely encounter. Other birds, like duck and squab, play minor but memorable roles on the menu. The dedication to poultry continues with eggs and livers; the foie gras is very fine, as you’d expect, but a more telling sign of how much care goes into the ingredients is the plate of gorgeous, creamy chicken livers. The prices can make your eyes pop, but so can the portions. And while Mr. Westermann spends half his time in France, he hasn’t hit autopilot on Le Coq Rico. He was in the house one recent night, and new breeds of chicken have strutted onto the menu since my review. ★★; 30 East 20th Street, Flatiron district; 212-267-7426; lecoqriconyc.com.

5. Agern

The ambitious Nordic invasion of Grand Central Terminal by the Danish entrepreneur Claus Meyer has many facets, including a food hall and a Danish hot dog stall, but Agern is the one that has food worth missing a train for. The chef of this comfortably formal restaurant is Gunnar Gislason, importing the philosophy of cooking with underappreciated ingredients from nearby that he follows at Dill in Reykjavik, Iceland. The beet baked in ashes and salt that is carved at tableside, like a steamship round, may not be as exciting as its ceremony, but like much of the cooking, its flavors are honest and appealing. You can order à la carte or amble through the “field and forest” tasting menu ($140) or a nonvegetarian excursion ($165). Both prices include service and a round and tangy loaf of house-made sourdough with a memorably crackling crust. ★★★; Grand Central Terminal, 89 East 42nd Street, Midtown East; 646-568-4018; agernrestaurant.com.

6. Aska

“Oh, not a New Nordic tasting menu,” I hear you say. “We had a New Nordic tasting menu last night!” Well, this one has reindeer lichen and the cinders of burned lambs’ hearts — you didn’t have that last night, did you? It also has a chef, Fredrik Berselius, who has become very adept at broadening and intensifying the flavors of his ingredients. Some of these are imported, like wild wood pigeon from Scotland. Others are grown or foraged nearby. Mr. Berselius is not dogmatic. He does have his share of strange ideas, but even the odd stuff pays off when you eat it. Upstairs in the selectively lighted dining room, the Unabridged Berselius is a 19-course tasting menu for $215, and the abridged, 10-course version is $145. (All prices include service.) Down in the basement is a casual lounge with small plates, none costing more than $16, although you won’t find any blackened hearts down there. ★★★; 47 South Fifth Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 929-337-6792; askanyc.com.

7. Hao Noodle and Tea by Madam Zhu’s Kitchen

Forget about the name. Tea is never mentioned by the servers (though it should be, because it’s good), and noodles may not always be the best thing on the table. It doesn’t matter. There is skillful, contemporary Chinese food all over the menu, and color photographs to let you know what you’re in for. Most of the dishes are drawn from either Beijing, Shanghai or Chongqing. Peppers are not quite everywhere, but they are strongly represented in many dishes. So many fresh green chiles lurk in Madam Zhu’s Spicy Fish Stew that eating it is a contact sport. There is some shading to the cooking, too. I counted three distinct frying styles, and clearly need to return to finish the survey. ★★; 401 Avenue of the Americas, Greenwich Village; 212-633-8900; madamzhu.com.