When the chef Laurent Tourondel opted for an open kitchen in the main, third-floor dining area of BLT Fish, he had to sacrifice a restroom.

Look at the main, third-floor dining room of BLT Fish, which opened in the Flatiron district early this year.

At BLT Fish, the linens are absent and an exposed kitchen pumps up the volume of noise and the sense of commotion.

BLT Fish, 21 West 17th Street, has opened its casually elegant upstairs dining room, which has a menu emphasizing whole fish: (212)691-8888.

WHEN friends tell me they're headed to BLT Fish for the first time, the conversation often takes a sharp turn.

BLT Fish, which opened in the Flatiron district last year, is like an airplane.

When I rave about BLT Fish, it's the other way around.

Apart from the downstairs-only burger and upstairs-only lamb, the menus have more overlap than the ones at the Modern, BLT Fish and Country.

As BLT Fish demonstrates, he does.

It's equally hard to find restaurants that click as well as BLT Fish, which carries its melding of sophistication and sass through to desserts.