Tables have been removed from the center of the dining room to expose a circular, hardwood floor, where a dozen or more couples samba to a relentless Latin beat emanating from a nearby deejay booth. My peak samba years are probably behind me, but I prefer Nacional 27 in its late-night guise. The interior is as cool as a tropical breeze. Gauzy, billowy curtains frame the foyer, a look that's repeated in the dining room, where white and off-white sheers add shape to the walls. Free-standing tables are arranged in a circular pattern, facing the dance floor.
Curved booths ring the dining room on two levels.
The look is not terribly dissimilar from that of Hat Dance, the Mexican restaurant that Nacional 27 replaced. The bar is pretty much where I remember it being, though now it is outfitted with cute, cone-like barstools and a few tables. Executive chef Randy Zweiban's inaugural menu may be missing about a dozen countries, but Zweiban, who worked under New World Cuisine guru Norman Van Aken in Miami, offers plenty of variety and challenging new tastes. My favorite entree is the sea bass en Zarzuela, a lidded earthenware dish containing sea bass poached in a tomato-shellfish broth over yellow rice. The broth is lively with cilantro and a touch of Scotch bonnet pepper, and the sea bass is the tastiest I've had in some time.