It takes more than fine food to make a restaurant successful. Consider the perennially vacant Neomi's Grill at the Trump Sonesta, where the food is, for the most part, exceptionally good, but the scene, on most nights, is nonexistent.

It's hard to see why. The service is painstakingly polite, and the setting is comfortable, despite a rather formal hotel-lobby feel, with tasteful bronze and gold accents, thick carpeting and plush upholstery beneath a shower of jangly white glass lanterns. Outside tables offer ocean views. (In case you're wondering, the namesake Neomi is the wife of developer Michael Dezer, The Donald's partner in this enterprise.)

Granted, the amuse bouche can be a turn-off. On one visit, we were greeted with semi-frozen chorizo and Italian sausage medallions, and on another, a bizarre pile of cold wine-gelatin pellets with strips of sun-dried tomato and grilled eggplant that looked like it belonged on a microscope slide.

Once past the screeching of the complimentary petite first course, though, executive chef Kurtis Jantz's kitchen sings right on key, beginning with an abundant basket of crispy, herb-laden flat breads, willowy, seed-encrusted breadsticks, onion-speckled pumpernickel rolls, and puffy sourdough and multigrain loaves served with imported butter and garlic-infused olive oil.

The very interesting international wine list is well-priced, with bottles from $38 to just more than $100 at less than double retail.

Salads are exceptionally perky, including a luscious Caesar with bits of well-aged Parmesan and garlicky bread crisps. I sampled a divine arugula and blue cheese concoction on the Miami Spice menu with the tiniest, most tender leaves of the spicy green I've seen outside of my garden.

Soups include a whimsical BLT, with a tiny, skewered, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich on toasted pumpernickel served alongside a perfectly rich and smoky tomato puree with gorgeous depth and color.

A fantastically juicy jerk chicken quarter with picture-perfect grill cross-hatches comes with a black bean and corn succotash that is at once hearty and refreshing. The cardamom-spiced yam mash sounds heavy but was heavenly.

A bowl of al dente linguine with a restrained sauce of tangy fresh baby heirloom tomatoes and vibrant streamers of fresh basil is a pasta lover's delight. Fresh and snappy Key West shrimp are served over spicy hot pearls of Israeli couscous cooled by chunks of creamy goat cheese.

A delicious marinated portobello mushroom cap with the same chvre, baby spinach and roasted tomatoes has a richly satisfying meaty flavor balanced by a sweet carrot emulsion.

A textbook New York strip, enhanced by a touch of luscious demi-glace and served with a buttery mound of whipped potatoes and ever-so-slightly-bitter broccolini, won my heart. The lamb chops are another classic -- big, meaty, tender and juicy with lots of fresh herbs, served with garlic-mashed potatoes and thumb-sized asparagus spears.

Chilean sea bass may be controversial and endangered, but it is also expertly seared, gently seasoned with lemon butter sauce and served with dauphinoise Yukon gold potatoes. As with nearly every dish here, the presentation on white china with no superfluous garnishes is simple and stunning.

Most fried items were disappointing. The spring roll's chicken and glass noodle filling was tasty enough, but its wrapper was greasy, and the steak fries were sodden with oil.

Desserts are uneven. On one visit we sampled a summery burst of limoncello-laced lemon curd with a golden meringue crust and puffs of fine whipped cream, a lusciously rich chocolate mousse and a miraculously light fried cheesecake. On another night, though, a dense, cupcake-like chocolate soufflé shared a plate with a stale brioche and cream sandwich and a sickly sweet poached baby pear.

All in all, Neomi's Grill is the perfect place to take a lawyer or a lover. You're guaranteed privacy and a pretty damn good meal to boot.