Seven Flatiron Dinners for One Ordinary Week

Start at the Jean-Georges Latin room on East 19th, open from four. Family-style appetizers sit beside individual entrees and a vegan and vegetarian selection, with small portions and high drink prices. Order one round of plates and stop there; Monday is not the night for a long dinner.

The Spanish room on West 19th runs to 9:30 on a Tuesday, crowded and loud, built for sangria and shared plates. Jamón ibérico, garlic shrimp and seared octopus arrive fast; the paella does not. Order the paella first, then the small plates.

Jean-Georges’ plant-forward room next door opens for dinner at five midweek. Seasonal plates, craft tonics, gluten-free fare and a bar that pours cocktails beside the tonics. The pace suits a table that wants to talk; service moves quickly and the room stays calm until seven.

Peruvian ceviche in leche de tigre, pisco sours and Nikkei plates such as seafood mixto and lomo saltado, four blocks south on East 17th. The room is spacious and the pacing is quick. Eat early for a quiet table; Thursday runs to eleven.

Whitewashed Greek cooking at 15 West 18th: fresh seafood, spreads, saganaki and strong cocktails, with live DJs once the weekend starts. Book the early dinner for conversation; the room turns loud after eight. Friday runs to eleven.

Wood-fired pizza and Southern Italian classics on West 21st, with reasonably priced wine and cocktails. Saturday is dinner only from five, and the pizzas are the reliable order. Take a seat in the old-world room and skip the pasta to get the most from the kitchen.

A Tuscan corner room on Fifth Avenue, open from eleven, with an extensive wine list and specialty espresso martinis. Pizza, calamari, sirloin and burgers share the menu, and the dessert to know is ice cream with olive oil. Sunday is the night to sit long over a bottle and one more coffee.