Some restaurants try very hard to cultivate a certain type of clientele. Others can just bring in happy, fun-loving people by virtue of the food and drinks alone. Rossoblu, a Northern Italian–inspired restaurant that opened this year in downtown's Fashion District, is the latter type of place: Walking in feels like arriving at a warm and welcoming house party. The courtyard of the repurposed warehouse has perfectly placed strings of lights overhead — it's an ideal setting for a big group dinner. The huge indoor space is decorated with a Renaissance-meets-contemporary mural, more artful lightbulbs and an open kitchen. And though the ceilings are in fact soaring, there's nothing cold or empty about Rossoblu. There are so many people, sometimes wearing unusual hats and sack dresses of unusual fabrics, eating homemade noodles and salumi, that the restaurant feels like the friendliest place in town.

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