289 Bleecker Street (off 7th Avenue South) 212-488-5800 www.paganinyc.com
Italian. Being really cool means never having to try. The lighting is mellow, the walls warm and rich, awash in brown. The waiter, both attentive and affable, is far from the only one looking out for your well being. No less than three others stroll the surroundings, chatting animatedly with guests while ensuring your perpetual happiness. The menu is extensive; the selection of pasta particularly plentiful. Then there’s the music, predating almost everyone in the room and enhancing the tone even further. It all works here (and works well together). No flash, no hype. Just a perfectly excellent time.