Oriole

Noah and Cara Sandoval decided to give their two-Michelin-starred restaurant a revamp while it was closed for the pandemic. Down came an adjoining wall, in went a bar, and the larger and airier space was ready to host diners for a new progressive experience. You still enter through the freight elevator doors, but now you are seated at the elegant bar for a cocktail and small bites like lobster mousse dumplings, then whisked into the kitchen for sparkling rosé, foie gras, and a close-up of the chefs at work, and finally deposited at your table for the rest of the exceptional (and, at $285 a person, a bit pricier) meal. Another new twist: After 10 p.m., the bar is open for à la carte cocktails from Julia Momosé and ham and cheese sandwiches from Noah, which means you can get a taste of the place for far less money. 661 W. Walnut St., Fulton River District