Nikolai's Roof

And you will be alone, save for perhaps one or two souls who have ventured here because they've heard the view is worth the trip.

Nikolai's Roof opened in 1976 and quickly became one of the most talked-about restaurants in the city. Its Russian menu — replete with caviar and piroshkis — was part of the draw, as was the amazing view, even more panoramic now since no one could have predicted the growth of Atlanta's skyline 30-plus years ago. Now, Peachtree Street winds like an electric serpent all the way to Buckhead. Stone Mountain is easily visible until the sun goes down.

The last time I had been in the lobby of the Hilton was in the late 1980s. It hasn't changed much. Once the hub of New Year's parties and the epicenter of special occasions, the Hilton is in much need of a face-lift.

But Nikolai's Roof, with its richly patterned carpet and waiters outfitted in red brocaded uniforms with white gloves and its perennially continental approach to cuisine and its breathtaking view, seems oddly timeless. Stodgy, to be sure, but as lovable — and expensive — as a Gurkha cigar.

An evening here should begin with a round of the restaurant's flavored vodkas, from caramel to cucumber. A few, like the lemon and peach, are cloyingly sweet and not worth the price tag. But others, such as the pepper, are perfect with another of the restaurant's signatures: caviar. Russian it's not (the trade in wild-caught caviar from the Caspian and Black Seas was banned in 2006), but California sturgeon has its fine qualities, too. Richly beaded and salty, the roe is served with all the classic accoutrements: chopped egg and onion, capers, sour cream, toast points and teeny blinis laced with corn meal for a southern touch. Few places in the city offer caviar service anymore, which makes it even more of a treat.

Chef Olivier De Busschere offers a prix fixe menu that includes puffy piroshkis — puff pastry pillows with three fillings and a béarnaise; but if no one's up for a lengthy stay, the a la carte menu can be had in four courses, including a cheese-cart selection and choices of dessert.

Past caviar, vodka and piroshkis, the menu veers into a decidedly continental attitude. Dishes of pan-seared foie gras with thin slivers of gala apple "carpaccio" and a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bonbon of pate de foie gras is perhaps the kitchen's most notable effort. But even something simpler, such as tagliatelle tossed in truffle oil with mushrooms and arugula, stands out.

For while the nature of the menu hardly conforms to convention, Busschere and company execute staid dishes of tenderloin with savoy cabbage and bacon with style and panache, proving form may rule over function after all.

Servers follow suit, and nowhere is that more evident than with the cheese cart, from morbier to fourme d'Ambert, or with the tableside preparation of sabayon over berries. But to finish a meal at Nikolai's Roof without a soufflé would be shameful, since the fluffy poofs of air, egg and sugar are one of the kitchen's greatest calling cards, especially when flavored lightly with coconut and pierced with a chiboust-like banana cream.

I was still licking my lips as the elevator dropped to the lobby.

NIKOLAI'S ROOF

Rating and prices:

$$$$

Food:

Continental, with Russian overtures

Service:

Formal and professional

Credit cards:

Visa, MasterCard American Express, Diner's Club, Discover

Hours of operation:

Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5:

30 to 10:30 p.m.

Best dishes:

Caviar, foie gras, tenderloin, soufflé

Vegetarian selections:

Tagliatelle with truffle oil, cheeses, arugula salad

Children:

For 12 and up

Parking:

Validated parking with complimentary valet

Reservations:

Yes

Wheelchair access:

Yes

Smoking:

No

Noise level:

Low

Patio:

No

Takeout:

No

Telephone:

404-221-6362

Web site:

KEY TO RATINGS

Outstanding:

Sets the standard for fine dining in the region.

Excellent:

One of the best in the Atlanta area.

Very good:

Merits a drive if you're looking for this kind of dining.

Good:

A worthy addition to its neighborhood, but food may be hit or miss.

Fair:

The food is more miss than hit.

Restaurants that do not meet these criteria may be rated

Poor

.

PRICING CODE:

$$$$$

means more than $75;

$$$$

means $75 and less;

$$$

means $50 and less;

$$

means $25 and less;

$

means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)