Perennial hot spot Koi was recently remodeled, and the result is a predictably lovely, transporting space, what with the calming water elements, bamboo accents and twinkling glowing candles everywhere. It’s a fitting backdrop for its equally beautiful clientele—which consists almost entirely of model types, industry bigwigs and their various entourages and, naturally, A-list actors—who have kept this Japanese restaurant and lounge consistently booked for years. An evening at Koi is more about seeing and being seen than about debating the subtle merits of a particular cut of mackerel or hamachi; the sushi here is fairly traditional, and signature dishes include yellowtail carpaccio with grape seed oil, ponzu and wasabi tobiko. For fans of the cooked stuff, there’s a flavorful Kobe filet mignon toban-yaki, so tasty it may just have you drooling over dinner instead of the starlets around you.

Koi Information:

• Japanese menu. Dinner. Bar. Reservations recommended.