Samba-Le (CLOSED)

This Brazilian-Italian restaurant in the East Village seems less focused on the menu—a mishmash of flavors and trendy “small plates”—than on the atmosphere, where samba dancers, live music and Brazilian DJs intermingle. The small, dimly lit room has flags of Brazil painted on the wall, and tables covered with large banana leaves. An appetizer of squash flan sounded and looked appealing, but wasn’t: Less of a flan than a cake, it had the consistency of cat food and it tasted like it had been heated in a microwave. Entrees didn’t fare much better. Chocolate tagliatelle with a duck ragu delivered mushy noodles slicked with a slimy, bland sauce. Roasted chicken was more flavorful, but came with a side of grainy mashed potatoes of the Hungry-Man variety. Better to just stick to drinks at the bar, or head to one of the better restaurants in the area.