Faux?

No, this new restaurant is for real.

George McNally, the 22-year-old son of legendary New York restaurateur Keith McNally, recently debuted Faux in Tribeca.

George McNally grew up spending time at Pastis and Balthazar, his father’s iconic restaurants, although Keith no longer owns Pastis. He is a consultant since the restaurant’s relaunch.

Before debuting Faux, George worked at Balthazar for four years. He was a high school dropout who at 16 was a dishwasher at Elephant & Castle in London.

His father’s longtime designer, Ian McPheely, and architect, Richard Lewis, designed Faux. Allegedly, much of the furniture is repurposed from his father’s places.

The two-story restaurant offers a modern take on the classic neighborhood bistro with a menu of approachable French fare, including steak frites ($42), pan-seared halibut and a burger with Gruyère and French fries ($29).

We waited at the bar and toasted a NY Giants victory with exceptional martinis. We met two fabulous women who were indulging in said martinis and the highly praised steak frites.

We moved to a booth, settling in with delicious bread with a crispy crust and adequate butter which did not speak the love language of French butter.

The first course was an outstanding Endive Salad with Buttermilk blue cheese, candied walnuts and a wonderful lemon oil dressing…truly outstanding ($22).

I must say the Halibut was one of the best ever, seared to perfection with a beautiful crust, resting on a pool of beurre blanc sauce and accompanied by crispy lentils ($43).

The Pesto Rigatoni with Parmesan and pine nuts was ordinary and a disappointment. It arrived lukewarm  and the redo did not improve the flavor ($26).

The Crispy Potatoes were aptly described and quite tasty ($14).

The room was buzzy and filled with what appeared to be affluent diners.

Chef Kristina Ramos, an alumnus of Eleven Madison Park, Oxalis, and l’abeille, leads the culinary program. 

If I lived in the neighborhood I would definitely return for the outstanding martinis, endive salad, halibut and most likely sample the burger.

Faux 277 Church Street Tribeca New York City. Open daily 5pm-12am. Reservations on OpenTable.com.