Le Parisien

At this new Murray Hill bistro, which opened right before Bastille Day, a Paris-born owner employs a French server who spouts a French-accented "Bon appetit!" as she delivers your oh-so-French frites. And, they have red, white and blue balloons outside. Next to a French flag. We get it, we get it! Moving along! Standard bistro fare, which goes from about $8 to $26, is the order of the day here—escargots, croque monsieur, steak frites. But you'll also find not-quite-Gallic bites like Moroccan-spiced calamari (dusted with coriander and cumin) and Thai mussels in a coconut–lemongrass–kaffir lime broth. Posters and French news clippings plaster the walls of the quaint, 30-seat space, but the most eye-catching décor is a massive, floor-to-ceiling chalkboard that lists a selection of wines. Whaddaya know, they're mostly French—Sancerre, riesling Côtes du Rhône—with a few South African wines to mix things up.

See more: Midtown restaurants, French restaurants