Sugar Bar

Drums and masks hang from the ceiling and walls of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson’s tiki-fied, cheerfully noisy establishment. Starters include fresh guacamole with fluffy cornmeal arepitas and greaseless catfish strips with a tangy tartar sauce. Grilled filet mignon is fat and juicy; the parrilla de mar includes grilled prawns, shrimp, calamari, scallops and a thick fish fillet on a carving board. One sweet ender, rum-soaked bread pudding, is a moist, boozy delight. The lights go out around 9pm, when musical acts take the stage in the rear. Arrive before then: reading the menu by candlelight is nearly impossible.