The casual room denies Claudio Aprile’s food much pomp and ceremony, though the sight of him pouring flavoured cream into liquid nitrogen to make fabulous ice cream is a tableside showstopper. His cuisine is currently eclectic, each dish balancing many elements, subverting preconceptions about texture and the precedence of flavours, and introducing ravishing new ingredients. Menus change with the seasons and the chef’s inspirations. On one occasion, ether­eally perfumed aloe vera jelly crowns vanilla-glazed sea trout with salsify and warm lemon custard; wilted greens tossed with bean sprouts almost steal the laurels. Rich roasted root vege­tables lurk beneath a skin of beet cellophane, each bite modified by cauliflower purée, grated gouda, caramelized almonds or lemon aïoli. Sweet flavours—a sauce of hibiscus and one of smoked cardamom chocolate, a teeny quince crêpe, foie gras mousse that melts over chocolate gravel—pay court to tea-smoked rare squab breast. Refined, intellectual, even, such cooking needs perfect focus to show at its best; though a rare few dishes seem a bit blurry at the edges, most are undoubtedly 20/20. A small list of desirable, intriguing international wines (many available by the glass and quarto) and well-chosen sakes suits the cooking. Small plates $19–$36.