The Old-World worn elegance of New Orleans’ French Quarter is clearly the inspiration for the decor at this Big Easy-style seafood restaurant. Time’s passage has beautifully scarred its walls, dark leather booths invite your body to mold to their shape and light-catching bronze details abound. The centerpiece of the space is a horseshoe-shaped bar, complete with an Absinthe fountain—a replica of the one that once served Old Absinthe House in New Orleans.

Here, daring drinkers can look the emerald fairy deep in the eye—and so many fairies from which to choose; the bar stocks a mean list of Absinthes. Nurse these green dreams, slurp some of Maison Premiere’s fresh oysters on the half-shell and tap into the many reasons why this sweet spot is such a win with discerning chowhounds.