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By Root 1826 0

a modern luxury ocean liner. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out both north and west, and the cocktail bar offers cutting-edge concoctions like a fusion of bourbon, Italian bitters, elderflower, and cardamom. The arrestingly designed raw bar backed with Mediterranean-hue ceramics offers stunningly fresh choices. You would expect gorgeous oysters at a restaurant called Oceana, and you get them: they’re so full-flavored that they transcend their chilliness. Chef Ben Pollinger has all the skill and confidence necessary to serve some of the most vivid and delicious seafood in town. A “contemporary appetizer” section features items like marinated cucumber with cucumber, apple, and toasted spices. Grilled whole fish like halibut, swordfish, and crispy wild striped bass are served with a perfect rotating roster of sauces like classic romesco and grilled pineapple salsa. Thai-style red snapper comes with tender silk squash, crisp jicama, and a kaffir-saffron broth. | 1221 6th Ave., at W. 49th St., Midtown West | 10020 | 212/759–5941 | www.livanosrestaurantgroup.com | Reservations essential | AE, DC, MC, V | Subway: E, M to 53rd St./5th Ave.

Seäsonal Restaurant and Weinbar.

$$$ | AUSTRIAN/GERMAN | Partners and executive chefs Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder have brought something neu to Midtown: a swanky Austrian-German restaurant and Weinbar. With its sculptural ceiling lighting, elliptical bar, and contemporary Austrian and German art, Seäsonal feels more “downtown” than you’d expect from such central Midtown digs. The decor is modern European, with white walls, wood floors, and leather cubby seating. The cuisine is sophisticated and contemporary, yet still steeped in regional traditions. The chefs are committed to using fresh, seasonal ingredients and, whenever possible, locally sourced products. Appetizers like the foie-gras terrine and the cheese ravioli with smoked chanterelle mushrooms will delight you with their contrasting lightness and intensity of flavor. Main dishes, such as the pumpkin seed–crusted black sea bass with butternut squash and black truffles, and the classic Wiener schnitzel served with a crescent potato-cucumber salad, will pleasure your palate with simple but striking flavor combinations. Seäsonal’s Weinbar features a distinctive selection of wines from emerging Austrian and German winemakers—definitely the right place for your Riesling fix. | 132 W. 58th St., Midtown West | 10019-2135 | 212/957–5550 | www.seasonalnyc.com | AE, DC, MC, V | Subway: F to 57th St./6th Ave.

Serafina.

$$ | ITALIAN | Each location of Serafina features different design details—Mediterranean-hue friezes or an outdoor terrace, for instance. Looks aside, the real draw here is some authentic Neopolitan pizza—they even filter the water for the pizza dough to make it more closely resemble the water in Naples. Beyond the designer pizzas are antipasti, salads, and pastas. For additional locations, check the restaurant’s Web site. | 210 W. 55th St., at Broadway, Midtown West | 10019-5218 | 212/315–1700 | www.serafinarestaurant.com| Subway: N, Q, R, W to 57th St./7th Ave. | 29 E. 61st St., between Madison and Park Aves., Upper East Side | 10065-8009 | 212/702–9898 | Subway: N, R, W, 4, 5, 6 to 59th St./Lexington Ave. | 1022 Madison Ave., at E. 79th St., Upper East Side | 10075-0179 | 212/734–2676 | AE, DC, MC, V | Subway: 6 to 77th St. | 38 E. 58th St., near Madison Ave., Upper East Side | 10022-1910 | 212/832–8888 | Subway: N, R, W to 5th Ave. | 224 W. 49th St., between 7th and 8th Aves., Midtown West | 10009 | 212/247–1000 | Subway: C, E, to 50th St.

Shake Shack.

$ | BURGER | Local restaurant legend Danny Meyer has gone a little low-brow with his fast-ish food venture, Shake Shack—and New Yorkers are loving it. Area-wise, this Theater District location is the largest and with the most seating, but be warned: lines still snake out the door, especially at prime mealtimes. Still, the grub is good and well priced. Fresh steer burgers are ground daily, and a single will run you from $3.75 to $4.75, depending on what you want on it. For