Forsythia

Forsythia works Old City as a modern French bistro that doesn't take itself too seriously despite a menu full of technique. The room leans casual-cool — plants, black-and-white tile, globe lighting, a long bar built for splitting beef tartare and working through a wine list deep enough to make you mispronounce a Cinsault on purpose. It reads staged in places, but the pace is unhurried in a way Old City rarely allows.

The kitchen earns that room. Classics get real twists: a duck confit omelet, foie gras mousse with lemon poppy seed brioche, escargot in chartreuse-almond butter. These aren't safe plates — they're French fundamentals pushed somewhere more interesting, and when they land, they land well. Portions run small, which reads as precision rather than stinginess once the bill settles. Service has its off nights, but the good ones are good enough to make you forgive them.

Michelin gave it a nod in the 2025 guide. That's the right call. This is a restaurant doing something specific and mostly nailing it — not flawless, but worth the seat at the bar.