Le Magnifique (CLOSED)

This New York take on the French bistro is a far cry from an elegant Parisian table for two, but the Upper East Siders who fill the multiple dining rooms don’t seem to mind the crowded seating, sloppy service or underseasoned fare. Both the soup du jour (roasted eggplant and pepper, when we visited) and a salad of undressed haricots verts were too bland to polish off; instead you will fill up on countless slices of toasted baguette while waiting for your entrées to arrive. When they finally do, a lamb shank with baby vegetables leaves one wondering if the kitchen gathered its produce from the canned-goods aisle. A tender duck breast with peppercorn-and-port reduction saves face, but dessert—a yawn-inducing molten chocolate cake served cold in the middle—places this spot firmly in mundane territory.