THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Zanzibar

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Zanzibar Restaurant Review:

Hans Kaufman, longtime chef at posh Palio, is cooking with global gusto at Zanzibar. He'd really better have gusto since the red-hot restaurant and bar in the Theater District is lively to the edge of distraction. Architect-owner Emilio Barletta, reprising the success of his Trattoria Dopo Teatro a few blocks away, offers a contemporary setting with industrial elements of old New York in a multi-room environment. Foodies should ignore the vast video screen in the bar and step into a dining room with zebra-striped booths. Kaufman's cuisine is anything but monochromatic. Name a country and it will resonate somewhere on Zanzibar's culinary trip around the world. Latin, Indian, Mediterranean and Chinese are all tastefully tapped. Be sure to try the lamb sliders with caramelized onions and mint mayo or the tender mussels with basil broth for starters. Entrées include grilled salmon with farmers' vegetables and soy vinaigrette, and a spicy tuna flatbread. Desserts hit just this side of decadent. Our faves are the sugar-glazed donuts with dulce de leche, bitter chocolate, and berry ginger dipping sauce.