Bar Vivant

Tucked onto a quiet Carnegie Hill side street, Bar Vivant is linked on its own site to Alison, the East Harlem restaurant, and its small-plates menu follows a similar shape: steak tartare, mushroom croquettes, a lobster roll with old bay chips, and a shelf of Spanish-style conservas (octopus in Galician sauce, boquerones, mackerel in oil) beside the wine list. A tin of American paddlefish caviar sits at the top for anyone who wants to go further. The room is small, with just a short bar and a handful of tables.