The wine list is split, America versus World (a world consisting mostly of France), and it’s fairly priced, with some bottles as low as the high $20s. We tried the 2004 Louis Bernard Gigondas ($39), a serious Rhône that needs a little more age, I think. It was quite astringent with appetizers, but opened up in the glass by the time we got to the entrées. A supplementary glass of 2007 Crios de Susana Balbo malbec ($9) from Argentina was easier drinking and more fruit-forward. Decaf ($2) and cappuccino ($4) were fine. A glass of moscato d’Asti ($6/glass; $26/bottle) with dessert was light and refreshing, and had that wonderful mock-orange scent. Taylor Fladgate 20-year tawny port ($12) was too subtle for the loud room (or it came from a long-open bottle and had faded).

The dessert course was the weakest. My favorite thing was the chocolate crème brûlée ($9) served on a platter with an edible flower and three little cups, the others filled with a conventional crème brûlée and two scoops of strawberry sorbet. Chocolate cake ($9) was a cupcake of molten chocolate cake with blah vanilla ice cream. Chocolate hazelnut torte ($10) was a pyramid of what I would describe as frozen mousse with cherries and blueberries. A “five-spice pear pie” tart ($9) had little discernable spice or pear flavor, so it was really about the raspberry sorbet.

Service was good on a full night, and remarkably accurate in the din. The crowd appears young and out for fun, so maybe the noise is intended to set up the line, “Why don’t we go somewhere quieter to talk? How about my apartment?”

Robert Nadeau can be reached at RobtNadeau@aol.com .