Viva La France!

Buckhead's newest restaurant, the French Bistro Niko, is sumptuous without being stuffy. It's a welcome change from the minimalist, monochromatic decors of many of the city's trendy eateries.

It was packed on a recent weekday visit, infusing the place with the lively ambience of Parisian bistros.

We started with champagne and gougeres, feathery, two-bite cheese puffs, before moving on to the melting rich pork rillettes. The escargots, bathed in garlic and butter and goosed with a splash of Pernod, were tender and lip-smacking; the glistening steak tartare made traditionally way but enlivened with tabasco was a knockout. And don't miss the savory, flatbread-like tartes: the delicate smoked salmon with creme fraiche and the luxe truffle-oil topped mushroom.

Our favorite entrees were masterful comfort food: a veal osso bucco shephard's pie and succuclent coq au vin. Every dessert we tried was a triumph: the baba rhum atop a puddle of apricot sauce, the citron tart with its gorgeous flourish of meringue, the cinnamon-y spiced apple tart.

No wonder Buckhead Life Group founder Pano Karatassos was strutting like a proud peacock throughout the dining room.