The physical ambience of "21" was most attractive - very old-fashioned "clubby", between the wall decor (framed cartoons from the New Yorker of bygone days), and the boy toys (trucks and sports helmets) hanging from the ceiling. I can see why the physical surroundings find favor with gentlemen of a certain age.
The clientele last night was a mixture of tourists and locals, and it was nearly empty at 6:30, but was much busier by the time that we had finished dinner. All the gentlemen wore jackets, but only myself, my husband, and two other gentlemen were wearing ties, though that is hardly surprising for an evening in August.
Service was correct, if somewhat perfunctory, as if the help realized that they'd probably be dealing with a large number of non-regulars brought into the restaurant, and their efforts were more "go through the motions", rather than be more engaged with the clientele.
The food was fine, if not exemplary, though the Restaurant Week menu items seem to have been portion controlled, which wasn't a bad thing - it was just as well not to be overstuffed from an evening meal. We had the house-smoked salmon appetizer, the lamb bolognese over caserecci pasta (forgive my possibly incorrect spelling - short noodles in the form of untwisted strozzapreti - good for a bolognese sauce), then the chocolate cake and the lemon tart (we divided and conquered - splitting desserts).
If nothing else, I can now check off that box on my "bucket list".
There was only DJ'ed recorded dance music when I visited the Saint.
