A Review of King Street Restaurant and Bar, in Chappaqua Alan Zale for The New York Times SURPRISING Mirrors enhance the lighting at King Street Restaurant and Bar. DON'T let the uninspired name for this restaurant fool you. Entering its sixth month, King Street Restaurant and Bar does have a few issues to address - like a high noise level and its policy of only accepting reservations for groups of six or more. Apart from these, however, there is much to like about this restaurant: its food and décor, both considerably less boring than the name would suggest. The décor is surprisingly attractive and sophisticated for a family restaurant. One long wall, painted in matte black, is brightened by a row of mirrors in high-gloss black frames, which are positioned over every booth, doubling the illumination from pretty hanging fixtures. On the opposite side, a low partition of lovely rippled glass, like dripped candle wax, separates the bar from the dining area. Suggestions for beers and wines are chalked onto a blackboard on the back wall. Conventional tables and chairs fill out the center. At first glance the compact menu would seem undistinguished: Kobe burger chicken wrap, salads, a couple of pastas. But a sampling of a few other dishes revealed a kitchen that appreciates seasonal as well as healthful ingredients and that knows how to balance their myriad flavors and textures. A recent menu included seaweed salad, with lentils, kale, chard and turnips in supporting roles. This chef knows his chemistry. Small plates here are rich. Artfully twirled tentacles of slightly charred octopus arrived on a bed of "forbidden" black rice (dark purple, really), an exotic grain with a name that suggests intrigue and danger. It's said that this highly nutritional rice was once reserved exclusively for Asian royalty. A spicy dip sparked a tender spring roll of short rib and jalapeño, a cool seaweed salad sharing the plate; and meaty, crunchy chicken wings came with a choice of sauce, hot to mild. Round like a pizza, flatbread bore a brilliant topping of fig, prosciutto, caramelized onion and a dash of natural Vincotto. And although luscious duck confit sliders are off the menu at the moment, their replacement of short ribs, tangy Brie, sweet caramelized onions, and earthy truffle oil on brioche sounded good enough to mark for a future try. A featured crab cake was upstaged by a salad of fennel and orange, and other salads proved as pleasing. A complex mustard vinaigrette provided even more flavor to the chop of vegetables in Cobb salad. And over wafers of beet carpaccio, a lemony green salad was showered with pistachios, crumbled goat cheese and frizzled shallots. Entrees came in generous portions. Two big hunks of roasted chicken were succulent. Arctic char (special) - a delicious fish packed with omega-3 fatty acids - arrived crisped on the outside and dewy on the inside. But some other entrees had flaws: a juicy pork "steak au poivre" lacked poivre; striped bass needed much more seasoning; sea scallops could have been a little fresher; and the shell of soft shell crab had begun to toughen. Desserts were sweetened abstemiously. While a few loose candied hazelnuts failed to put the praline into fluffy chocolate praline mousse, and warmed apple crisp was mushy, two other desserts stood out as stars among their kind: a deep-dish crème brûlée wafting cinnamon and a hint of star anise; and topped by plump blueberries, an almost weightless bread pudding, thoroughly moist (not wet) with dulce de leche and the mere scent of banana. King StreetRestaurant and Bar 76 King Street, Chappaqua (914) 238-9600 kingstreetrestaurantandbar.com THE SPACE Renovated, roomy storefront decorated in a stylish palate of blacks and burgundies. Seating at a long bar, at tables, in booths and, weather permitting, outside on the broad sidewalk. THE CROWD Local, with young families in the early dining hours and groups of adults later on. Very noisy, but sidewalk dining can offer relief from the din within. Service needs organization, and a few servers need training. THE BAR Behind a handsome partial divider of rippled glass. Two televisions attract an enthusiastic crowd for popular sports events. International beers on tap, $6 and $6.50. Wine by the bottle, $30 to $78; by the glass, $8 to $11. Bring your own wine (no corkage fee) on Tuesdays. Bottled wines are half price at dinner on Wednesdays. THE BILL Lunch entrees, $12 to $20. Dinner entrees, $19 to $27; sandwiches and burgers, $13 to $20. Brunch entrees, $7 to $16. Children's entrees, $8. In addition, different discounts are offered every day. WHAT WE LIKED Octopus on black rice, short rib spring roll, chicken wings, duck sliders (seasonal), short rib and Brie sliders, prosciutto and fig flatbread (pizza); Cobb salad, chicken with grilled asparagus, Arctic char (special); bread pudding, crème brûlée with star anise and cinnamon. IF YOU GO Lunch menu, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner, Sunday to Tuesday, 4 to 9 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m. Brunch, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations accepted for six or more. Limited street parking; dimly lighted walkway at the side of the restaurant connects to a back parking lot. RATINGS Don't Miss, Worth It, O.K., Don't Bother.