A place where it's good to be grown up

The circular bar at the center of MKT is a great gathering spot. (JOHN BOHN/GLOBE STAFF)

An early taste of what's new on the restaurant scene

As grown-ups, we were delighted to hear about the recent opening of MKT - pronounced "market" - a new lounge in the Financial District, billed on its website as a place for grown-ups to play.

The after-work and lunch spot run by local DJ Tim Collins and the Cronin Group (of Sanctuary and Boston Beer Garden) seemed to offer a nice alternative to what's down the street - the Faneuil Hall bars that draw a Bud Light crowd, and the late-night business-district venues that are a bit too night-clubby for people who want to relax after work. The chef at MKT is Rene Michelena, formerly of Saint, who is also responsible for the kitchen at Central 37, the new Cronin/Collins-owned upscale restaurant next door.

We stopped by MKT on a recent Friday night at about 9 and could tell we had already missed the restaurant's big after-work rush. The business-district lingerers seemed to be two to three drinks into their MKT experience and almost ready to retire for the night. Their dress shirts were loose and unbuttoned at the top. A few tables of women kibitzed while they finished nearly empty cocktails. Groups of people, who we guessed were officemates, gathered at the circular bar in the center of the restaurant. Above them was the bar's exposed-wood barn frame taken from a real barn in Maine. Below them was a hip checkerboard floor.

Even though the MKT patrons seemed beat after a long day, they appeared to be embracing this place with its dim lighting, lounge vibe, and high-end bar eats. And despite the withering crowd, a DJ continued to spin hip-hop and down-tempo bands like Zero 7 as if he was playing to a packed house.

Maybe the owners are right to assume that Financial District minglers have been in need of a new place to call home between work and sleep.

Our experience at MKT began with a hostess seating us at a back table under a flat-screen television. A quick note to diners - avoid sitting with your back to a screen. With our heads against the wall, we were haunted throughout the meal by the flashing glow of ESPN, as if someone was setting off fireworks behind us.

The dinner menu is separated by temperature - hot and cold. We started with two plates, the fried veal and leek dumplings, and the baked artichoke, which for some reason was on the "cold" section of the menu. Both satisfied the group, especially the fun-to-peel artichoke, which was filled with about a quarter cup of warm goat cheese.

The small plates went well with drinks from MKT's extensive list of trendy cocktails. Sipping options include an espresso martini, the vodka creme brulee, and the "Lava Lamp," made with champagne, lime juice, and Craisins. We went for a lychee martini, which was blended well and was served with extra lychees at our request.

For entrees, we looked to the "hot" section of the menu. The most appealing option was the Moulard duck burger, but when we asked our waitress about it, she made a face and admitted that a table nearby didn't like the plate. She was delightfully honest, this server. When we asked if we should order the $5 bread basket, she said, "It's just bread." Fair enough.

We did wind up ordering the bread out of curiosity, and she was right. Despite the array of shapes and sizes of dough, it seemed like a scam. Shouldn't the carbs be free for people ordering from the food menu?

In place of the duck burger we ordered the tuna burger, which was a disappointment. It was dry enough that we had to ask for extra Kewpie mayo to make it easier to swallow. If the burger had been $9, we wouldn't have minded, but at $16, we shook our heads.

The lobster and shrimp casserole made up for it. The dish, best for one, wasn't a creamy mess like we feared it might be. Instead, it was a seemingly healthy mix of seafood chunks with giant white beans that tasted like potatoes.

Surprisingly, one of the cheapest choices on the menu turned out to be the table favorite. The margherita pizza, a simple $12 flatbread topped with heaps of fresh mozzarella, was great to share and strangely addictive because of the chili oil in the mix.

As we tried two average desserts - a milky tiramisu and a small apple tart - we noticed that the crowd had dissipated, leaving the DJ to spin tunes for a mostly empty floor. Most likely, by 11:30, the after-work Financial District loungers were all tuckered out. Down the street, the younger masses were on their way to start a long night at Faneuil Hall, the place where not-quite-grown-ups go to play.

MKT, 130 Water St., 617-367-0658. mktboston.com Hot plates: $8 to $26. Cold plates: $5 to $24. Cocktails: $10 to $16. Wine by the glass: $8 to $16. Wine by the bottle: $76 to $94.

Meredith Goldstein can be reached at m goldstein@globe.com.

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