THE ATRIUM: ABOVE THE MADDING CHIC

Restaurants have pulses. In the last week I’ve been to two of the trendier, noisier, restaurants around town where the rooms vibrated at a race walker’s pitch. I also paid a couple of visits to a lesser-known venue where the rhythm of the evening felt like a tranquil promenade.

The Atrium, small and glass domed, nestled next to a large commercial building on a major Long Beach street actually overlooks a dreamlike Promenade lit with old-fashioned citron yellow lamps. At night, the room is festive and romantic and feels like a 19th-Century greenhouse, or, if you sit in one of the booths, like a well-appointed dining carriage on a first-class train. The diner is pleasantly dislocated in time.

And we were pleasantly surprised from the moment a plate of tiny, crisp, cumin-stung smelts was offered along with the menu. Service was impeccable, with moments of high-camp military flair as when a retinue of four appeared to whisk ceramic domes and plates away while murmuring in a French accented English you could cut with a couteau.

Heddy Nouani, the Moroccan-born chef, inventively punctuates much of his food. A potent fish soup, classically served with toasts and rouille , was dashingly laced with saffron. Even more striking was a potato, smoked fish--and creamy goat cheese salad with its elegant greens, its translucent warm red potatoes and its fine walnut dressing.

The restaurant proudly offers all manner of fresh shellfish. Clams in a satisfying broth of spinach, garlic and white wine were chewy. Adequate but less than lyrical oysters came with a shallot vinegar, a cocktail sauce and a valiantly distracting saffron mayonnaise. Cold mussel soup, on the other hand, was a heady mix of smoky mussels and thick, thick cream. Warm scallops with both a bearnaise and a red wine sauce were fine.

Entrees, even when not fully realized, had an interesting edge. A paillard of lamb, despite its unfortunate texture, was set in an engaging rosemary mustard wash. Very tender loin of beef came stuffed with oysters; the combination was like a couple of fastidious parallel lines never converging in space. Better were the simple half-dozen jumbo shrimp cooked rare and mildly Cajunly spiced, then mixed with a swirl of peppers, red, yellow and green. The stuffed chicken supreme showed off the chef’s tools--and his roots. Three neat little packets of saffron-shot couscous tucked into breasts of chicken came with meaty shitake mushrooms and an intriguing Cabernet sauce. Entrees were served with an exceptionally light ratatouille and saffron rice.

The loudest noise in the restaurant is the whirring of the gleaming dessert cart. A marvelous cold Bavarian cream came filled with chocolate mousse. The almond cake, an excellent pate brisee studded with rich almond paste, was edged with a radically vanilla creme anglaise.

The wine list (which is currently extensive but lacking vintages) is in the process of being upgraded. There is also some question as to whether the Atrium will continue its High Tea. (I haven’t been there during the day, but hope they won’t stop. It’s easy to imagine hiding away in a booth on some rainy afternoon to enjoy sherry, caviar sandwiches, real chocolate truffles and freshly baked scones.)

The Atrium offers a welcome change of pace. It’s a romantic place to combine a tete-a-tete with a leisurely meal, and a fine alternative to frantically dining chic to chic.

The Atrium, 180 E . Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, (213) 491-0677. Open for lunch Tuesday-Friday; for dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Valet parking. Full bar. All major credit cards. Dinner for two, food only, $40-$70.