Cavey's

45 E. Center St.
Manchester, CT
tel.: 860/643-2751

Hartford
Mixed Menu
over $40

It takes 20 minutes to get here from Hartford, but the drive is worth it. Downstairs is a formal French restaurant decorated with priceless antiques; the cuisine is classic all the way. Upstairs is a casual Italian dining room with Palladian windows, rush-seated wooden chairs, and contemporary art. Although both menus change seasonally, Cavey's French restaurant can be counted on for exemplary rack of lamb and cassoulet. Fresh pastas and veal are the stars upstairs.

Hours: Closed Sun.-Mon. No lunch downstairs Credit cards: AE, MC, V.

Civic Café

150 Trumbull St.
Hartford, CT
tel.: 860/493-7412

Hartford
Eclectic
$25-$40

Spacious, hip, and smartly designed, Civic Café recalls restaurants in New York or San Francisco. Sashimi-style tuna with a black-sesame vinaigrette and Black Angus steak with fried oysters are two choices on the fusion menu. There are cappuccino and raw bars and a Wednesday-night Martini Club. Care for a banana-nut-flavored "Monkey" martini?

Hours: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V, D.

First and Last Tavern

939 Maple Ave.
Hartford, CT
tel.: 860/956-6000

Hartford
Pizza
under $15

What looks to be a simple neighborhood joint south of downtown is actually one of the state's most hallowed pizza parlors. The long, old-fashioned wooden bar in one room is jammed most evenings with suburbia-bound daily-grinders shaking off their suits; the main dining room is just as noisy, its brick outer wall covered with the requisite array of celebrity photos. The pie toppings are refreshingly untrendy.

Hours: No lunch Sun. Reservations not accepted. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V, D.

Max Downtown

CityPlace, 185 Asylum St.
Hartford, CT
tel.: 860/522-2530

Hartford
Contemporary
$25-$40

The latest of restaurateur Richard Rosenthal's culinary creations, upscale Max Downtown serves cuisine from around the world--everything from Portobello mushroom napoleon and steamed miso-sake-glazed Chilean sea bass to aged New York strip steak and grilled veal loin chop. A separate cigar bar serves classic port and single-malt liquor.

Hours: No lunch weekends Reservations essential. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.

The Savannah

391 Main St.
Hartford, CT
tel.: 860/278-2020

Hartford
Eclectic
$25-$40

The dining experience at this chic eatery is truly eclectic: Dishes combine French, Spanish, Asian, and southern influences. Favorites include an appetizer of ravioli filled with a puree of sweet potato and topped with chive butter sauce and a touch of nutmeg and an entrée of tuna crusted with sesame seeds and served with warm curried bananas and papayas in a salad infused with cinnamon.

Hours: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.-Tues. Credit cards: AE, DC, MC, V.