Review: Juno

The cornerstone restaurant in the swanky, revamped Arctic Club Hotel, Juno, which opened its doors in July, has all the “hotel restaurant” bases covered: slightly edgy but still plush decor (with plenty of roomy booths) in a pleasing slate gray and yellow palette; a dozen au courant small plates; and a drink list with all the trendiest mixers (cucumbers, shiso, even bacon for the Bacontini, naturally).

But those cocktails? They could be better—my Shiso Perfect ($11) was bitter with lime with no trace of mintiness from the star ingredient. And despite a menu by executive chef Thomas Kollasch that’s stacked with seemingly good ideas, something’s awry in the kitchen. Beef and lamb sliders ($3) were overcooked and dry, and the lamb carpaccio’s ($6) flavor was muffled by a profusion of olives.

A promising autumn salad of spinach, dates, eggplant, goat cheese, fresh pear and chestnuts ($9) revealed itself as a warm, brown, mushy mess with a mysterious and unpleasant tartness. Entrées fared better, especially a stellar ribeye ($44) with a perfect Béarnaise sauce lively with fresh tarragon.

Dessert, however, might be the best reason to stop into Juno: I enjoyed the olive-oil lemon cake with drunken grapes ($4), but the star of the show was the gianduja feuilletine ($4), a chewy layered chocolate-toffee confection that tasted like Almond Roca in a very good way.

Lunch Mon.–Fri., breakfast and dinner daily. Downtown, 700 Third Ave.; 206.631.8080; junorestaurant.com. $$