Chef Sean O’Brien, who developed a loyal following at Myth, opened Zinnia with his wife Patricia last October. They offer delicious New American cuisine, including some Myth favorites like potato gnocchi, rigatoni with foie gras cream, roasted black cod, oysters in the half shell and his signature dish, seared sweetbreads. Located where Cypress Club, 500 Jackson and Scott Howard used to be, Zinnia is an upscale but unstuffy spot to grab cocktails and dinner.

The interior is spacious, simply adorned and warmly lit, with a relaxed, loungey feel.

They have fun specialty cocktails like the Jalisco Sour ($10) with tequila, lemon and orange juice, egg white and bitters; and The Secret Garden ($12) with Square One organic cucumber vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and Prosecco. They make a pretty good Pimm’s Cup ($10) with Pimm’s No. 1, lemon-lime soda, ginger, mint and cucumber. My husband and his buddy are always happy whenever they see Trumer Pils ($5) and Chimay Red Label ($9) on the menu.

The staff at Zinnia is impressively accommodating of the toddler set. We think their cozy booths by the window along Jackson Street provide a perfect, kid-friendly corner. When we ate dinner there recently, the hostess doted over our daughter and gave her a big box of crayons with a notepad to keep her occupied. Our server promptly sent out warm bread and butter for our hungry youngster to nibble on while the kitchen prepared her half order of rigatoni. And, they brought my daughter’s food out along with the adult appetizers, so everyone was happy.

Zinnia may not be affordable everyday, but it is certainly a nice place to go on occasion. If you want to sample their fare at smaller prices, check them out during Halfsy Hour in the lounge and bar. From 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on weeknights, they offer half price specialty cocktails, wines by the glass and premium beer, along with signature half portions of dinner menu items.

I have eaten at Zinnia twice since they opened—once in the bar and once in the dining room. Both times I thoroughly enjoyed the food and atmosphere. I recommend this place to all my friends!

The bar is really cozy and there are plenty of seats. It’s a great place to pop in for a drink and a quick bite with friends because you can actually hear each other! Also, the service in the bar was very fast, and the cocktail waitress was well informed. I had the herb meatballs and chorizo burger off the bar menu and I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the ingredients and the portion size. I did not finish all my fries, but I wished I could have saved a little room for dessert! The signature cocktails were very unique—and maybe not what I would usually order—but I enjoyed trying something new.

The dining room is elegant yet hip. I enjoyed a decadent 4 course meal, and my server timed everything perfectly. I never felt rushed to finish one course; in fact, I was always anxiously awaiting the next thing. Our table was very cozy—we didn’t want to leave!

Zinnia is the perfect place to grab a bite at the bar or enjoy an incredible 4 course meal you won’t forget.