The Upper West Side below 72nd Street is not a restaurant mecca.

The food like the sidewalk activity is quite pedestrian.

One of our favorite places is Bar Boulud.

My husband recently walked home from work and was meeting me at Bar Boulud when we learned that it was not open on Mondays. He happened to be strolling on West 64th Street and, lo and behold, there was a new restaurant.

Rampoldi opened six months ago in part of the expansive Atlantic Grill space. Not to fret, Atlantic Grill is still there and is owned by the same restaurant  group.

Chef Antonio Salvatore has brought Rampoldi, the iconic Monte Carlo eatery, to New York City.

The original Rampoldi which opened in 1946 is synonymous with glitz and glamor exactly what you would expect from one of Monte Carlo’s oldest restaurants.

Chef Salvatore launched in 2020 La Table d’Antonio Salvatore, a five-seat dining room in the former cigar lounge below Rampoldi and was awarded a Michelin Star the following year.

Now, Salvatore in conjunction with the Monte Carlo Hospitality Group, is ready to woo NYC with its opulence along with crisp white tablecloths, hand-cut Rosso Imperiale Italian marble floors and glittering Murano glass chandeliers.

The bar looked more our speed so we settled there with bar seating that actually had padded stools with backs.

The Chilean bartender was very sociable and we sampled several wines. He offered a lovely Inscription Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon ($18).

We decided to dive in and try a new neighborhood place.

We started with a half dozen of fabulous iced cold oysters. They were served beautifully with cocktail sauce and a mignonette ($24).

The Caesar Salad was deliciously crisp and flavorful ($25).

We split the Grilled Salmon Filet which was perfectly prepared with a beurre blanc sauce and sprinkled with al dente asparagus and zucchini ($43).

The cuisine was very good with a varied menu including carpaccios, pizza, pasta, meat, duck and tartares.

If you live in the neighborhood or are attending theater, ballet or opera at Lincoln Center, Rampoldi is literally across the street and offers a wonderful mixture of Southern French and Italian cuisine with an additional sprinkling of luxury ingredients.

Rampoldi 49 West 64th Street New York City. Open Monday-Friday 5-10pm, Saturday and Sunday Noon-10pm. Reservations on Resy.