La Mar Cebicheria Peruana

As far as wannabe restaurant Goliaths go, there's no shortage of ambition with this Peruvian import. It's from globe-trotting chef/Peruvian sensation Gaston Acurio, who's already got 30 restaurants in a dozen or so countries. La Mar takes over Danny Meyer's old Tabla space, with two levels, a whopping 180 seats and loads of buzz—many are banking on Acurio to dramatically boost Peruvian cuisine's profile in NYC, moving it out of the sidelines. Or course, ceviche is the big draw here, like the classic Cebiche Elegance (with fluke, red onion, lime juice, salt, aji limo chili) and a cooked ceviche with grilled lobster. Traditional cooking also gets a shout-out in the Papa a la Huancaina, with local fingerling potatoes, a huancaina aji sauce, queso fresco, saltine crackers, milk and Spanish onion. The design, from mod-minimalist Stephanie Goto (Morimoto, Corton) complements the maritime theme with ocean-hued accents in varying shade of blue, contrasted against darkwood tables and surfaces. Smooth sailing, they're no doubt hoping, for La Mar's maiden voyage into the choppy waters of New York's dining scene. La Mar open on Sept. 20.

See more: Flatiron restaurants, South american restaurants