Concrete chic meets ''La Dolce Vita'' at this Mission District phenomenon.

This stunning, open-air oasis smack dab in the center of the Mission is truly in a class of its own. Inside the dining room, burnished woodwork and a crackling fireplace warm bare, fortress-like concrete walls, while in the windless and warmed courtyard, the back wall serves as a huge movie screen for nightly foreign films. The kitchen lives up to the unbeatable ambiance with a constantly evolving menu of thoughtfully composed plates and robust ingredients. A cold appetizer of marinated beets, cauliflower and roasted purple potatoes shines with animated, harmonious flavors. Most pairings have pleasing results. Tender, rosy pork chop draped with delicate lavender sauce is a vigorous marriage of sweet and savory. Firm, snowy grouper floats on a velvety lobster sauce spiked with black chanterelles and capers. Other innovations include a rose-endive Caesar.

Unique cocktails and European flair keep this avant-garde Mission lounge on the hipster radar.

The Scene
While many bars in the Mission play up a Latin theme, Laszlo sets the bar a little higher with its industrial-chic atmosphere. Bare bronzed walls elicit a warehouse feel, while a small upstairs creates an open-loft effect. Between the two levels (small tables below, bar stools above), seating is ample. Attached to the more upscale Foreign Cinema restaurant, this bar (named after Jean-Paul Belmondo's alter ego in Godard's ''Breathless'') caters to the urban hip and Euro-friendly. And although you can order anything from Foreign Cinema's menu from the bar, this place is all about the drinks.