The thick, mammoth door that leads from Fifth Avenue into Suite & Tender is a reassuring clue that glamour hasn’t floated down the river in our ailing economy. Ditto for the sensational interior scheme of mixed elements, the tableside cocktail service and the impeccably weighted designer cutlery presented to you when protein entreés arrive.

But let’s not exclude the food, which is devised with similar grandeur by whiz-bang consulting chef Christopher Lee (from New York’s Gilt) and executive chef Billy Boyle (formerly of David Burke at The Venetian in Las Vegas). Their meticulous presentations extend right down to even a simple plate of bacon, a unique and tongue-coddling appetizer glistening in maple glaze and served with a frilly cap of frisée.

Suite & Tender occupies the first two floors of the new Hotel Se. At ground level is a chic bar-lounge boasting horizontal rows of live exotic plants illuminated like museum pieces. Above is the sleek and modern dining room, replete with big glass windows, plush leather seating and a unisex restroom with private stalls that is a must-see.

The restaurant is promoted as a modern-day steakhouse, and indeed, it’s élan couldn’t be further removed from the dark, masculine motifs of places like Fleming’s and Donovan’s. The menu is iconoclastic, too. Yes, there are steaks, including Japanese kobe sold by the ounce at market price, but the beef shares menu space with duck confit, braised pork belly, seared tuna and various shellfish from a raw bar. Choices abound, and everything that touched our lips made lasting impressions.

From a separate raw bar menu, my companion zeroed in on Alaskan king crab, which is actually cooked and available at $4 per piece – each measuring about three inches in length. The legs are presented in split shells on a mound of ice speckled with lemons and colorful kelp. It’s accompanied by traditional cocktail sauce and marvelous champagne vinegar that struck a zesty contrast to the sweet ocean meat.

Switching to the main menu, we launched into an arrangement of purple heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Though hackneyed Caprese this wasn’t. The superior-tasting tomatoes combined also with baby greens and toasted garlic dressing attested to the chefs’ mantra of “clean and approachable cuisine.”

Lump crab cakes, for instance, are enlivened with chopped green apples and silky tarragon remoulade – a cut above all others. Another appetizer, three grilled prawns, included a bonus (in one) of blood pigment rushing from its head when we cracked into it. “A random thing,” explained our waitress, but a welcome, flavorful delicacy as the mineral-y liquid oozed into a puddle of lemon-garlic butter and extra virgin olive oil underneath.

As for the previously mentioned maple syrup bacon, it’s thick, juicy and dreamy. “My two favorite things on one plate – fat and sugar!” exclaimed my companion as we cast aside our guilt while plowing through all three strips. “Will Sunday morning breakfast ever taste the same?” I asked.

Entrées are divided between “ocean,” “land” and “Suite & Tender.” The latter is a takeoff on surf ’n turf, though minus any steaks in the combos. Four different cuts of beef occupy their own category under “classic steaks.” Yet no matter what entrée you pick, here begins the choosing from 11 different high-end knives presented to you on a silver tray.

Among them, a steely Chroma designed by F.A. Porshe, a Japanese Shun Classic boasting a resin-fused wood handle and a French Laguiole with rose- petal inlay. We dared not call them “steak knives” – they’re beautiful, exceptionally crafted and formidably sharp.

A pairing of braised pork belly and jumbo diver scallop had us easily forgetting about what could’ve been a usual dinner of sirloin and lobster in old-fashioned steakhouses. The pork, an uncured cuted from – you guessed it, the pig’s belly – was unctuously hypnotizing. Imagine the flavor of juicy pork roast to the tenth power. The scallop alongside was a perfect fleshy pearl from Maine that dallied well with the residual pork fat, as well as cauliflower purée, kumquats and hedge hog mushrooms tying the dish together.

We also tried Austalian grilled rack of lamb cooked medium-rare. The meat’s strong grassy notes are mollified by herbs, preserved lemon jus and ratatouille – a highly satisfying dish unless if you prefer straightforward lamb preparations.

A few a la carte sides captured our palates as well. In the face of so many fine-dining restaurants burning me out on French fries, these floated my boat with their clean, not-so-salty truffle essence. Buttered corn with caramelized onions was exceptional, as was a bowl of super-fresh root veggies that included baby carrots and beets.

Our waitress was highly informed about the wine and food – not surprising, as the management puts the staff through two intensive weeks of training before they work the floor. Call it a steakhouse or a trendy destination for dinner. In either case, Suite & Tender is a class act.