Recommendations

A snapshot of farmhouse Provencal cuisine.

Strengths

• Since I am a food writer, I often field questions like: “Where should I go to celebrate my anniversary?” “Where should I go for a dinner with friends where we won’t be overwhelmed by noise and scene?” What's the perfect place for a birthday dinner with great food and a casual atmosphere?” For all of these questions (and many more like them), I have one answer: Provence. This restaurant can (and should) be your go-to place for special occasions and regular evenings alike.
• The room is lovely—a long marble bar anchored by an icy shelf of oysters, walls warmed in a sunny, buttery palate, a façade wrapped in French doors, and a collection of mix ‘n match Provencal antiques dotting the room.
• The menu, created by chef Marc Meyer, is a snapshot of farmhouse Provencal cuisine. There are fat fritters of salt cod with an orange aioli; a grilled whole dourade, flawlessly cooked and splashed with a lemony chervil vinaigrette and a bracing Nyon olive puree; a bowl of chubby Bouchot mussels in a spicy broth of chili, chorizo, green onion, and garlic; and a roasted leg of lamb with seasonal vegetable ragout.

Shortcomings

• The restaurant initially got off to a shaky start and suffered from some inconsistency in the kitchen. Lately, however, the quality of the food has become much more reliable.

Insider tips

• The charm of the enclosed back garden (and its original mosaic tile floor) makes a room in the rear of the restaurant as compelling as one up front.

Anecdotes

• On a rainy Saturday evening, maybe around 5:30 or so, I wandered in after a movie at the Angelica with a few girlfriends. We took three stools at the bar, ordered a dozen oysters, some (must-have) fries (hot, salty and perfect), and a bottle of white from the Loire Valley. We talked for hours and ended up ordering a few more bites to share (brandade and the Provencal-style fried cheese ravioli). Soon, evening had turned to night. (It’s amazing what wine, oysters and fries can do to a girl.) Provence is really that sort of place. Even after you realize that hours have passed, you still won’t want to leave.

Credentials

• Owners Aibhinn Wilson O’Keeffe, Vicki Freeman, and Marc Meyer (who is also Provence’s chef and Freeman’s husband) are the team behind local farm-to-table favorites Five Points and Cookshop. The group took over the lease for Provence from original owner, Michel Jean.