Gilt Restaurant & Bar   

455 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10022
212-891-8100
www.giltnewyork.com

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Le Cirque 2000 is a grand act to follow, but Gilt, the restaurant that replaced it in the New York Palace Hotel, has every intention of living up to its gold-edged name. Gone is the colorful-whimsical dining room from the first floor of the century-old luxury hotel. In its place is a smaller restaurant and lounge, more reminiscent of its roots as the Villard Mansion. Rich woods and clubby browns are complimented by more modern silvers and leathers, as well as a circular bar (with the lounge's only splash of color). The pricey prix-fix menu includes bold offerings that would make upscale Europeans and even the royal family of Brunei (who own the hotel) feel palatial. Wear a good jacket, order a nice bottle of vintage, and pretend -- if only for a few hours -- that your father's name is Auguste and your last name is Renoir.