Ultra-healthy haute cuisine is a very difficult combo to find on the Upper East Side. If your New Year’s resolutions specify no butter, cream and cheese, that would generally mean the end of fine dining above 59th St.-- don’t bother leaving the penthouse. ‘Til now… a New York outpost of the Brussels restaurant Rouge Tomate has opened in the now-defunct, ultra-mod bi-level Nicole Farhi store space-– and the colossal restaurant serves up a big menu of ultra-healthy organic foods at a four-star presentation level, price point and ingredient deck, courtesy of chef Jeremy Bearman.

Did I mention the space is big? It’s huge, almost bank-like in its expansiveness, with light wood surfaces, and many cream-colored and orange-red panels adding a very-Euro type of liveliness. But it’s expansive, with no space dividers, so if you’re having an affair, or a romantic date, this is not the place. But for a see-and-be-seen lunch or dinner in an ebullient setting, you’re good to go.

My friend and I tested it out for lunch, and came hungry. We went to the upstairs café – no reservations required and a little more affordable than the downstairs café. Upstairs is a better way to dip your toe in. One of our starters was a beet flatbread ($12), a special that day, with chopped red and yellow beets, fresh crumbled feta, fennel and parsley-- altogether, it made for a flavorful starter – fresh and vibrant. Another starter we had was the baby carrot terrine ($15) with peekytoe crab tabouleh, almond vinaigrette and mango. It was also a thumbs-up… the four disparate flavors danced very nicely together.

My entrée was a cauliflower risotto ($19)-- it’s usually a very heavy dish, and quite fattening; here, it comes with roasted garlic, and lemon confit. I asked the waiter what the secret to its healthfulness was – normally risotto has more butter and cheese than almost any other dish. He said it’s fennel stock and fennel puree that “keeps it all together.” That is admirable and interesting. But I was yearning a bit for the butter and cheese, as this dish, while pleasant (the lemon was a particularly nice twist), had an un-creamy quality that was, well, un-Italian. It was just OK. My friend chose a pasta dish-– angiolotti with delicate squash, watercress, warm mushroom vinaigrette, and an egg on top ($16). This was another flavor foursome, but none of the flavors in this one rose above bland. It sure tasted fresh – just not exciting.

Dessert, though, was the saddest affair. In theory, a Cara Cara Orange & Earl Grey Crème Caramel ($9, with frozen chocolate milk, candied oranges and chocolate butter cookies), sounded great. In reality, the little lump of crème caramel looked like poo. And it didn’t taste much better. Dessert is one place where you’ll really feel it when fat and sugar are cut out – and you’ll feel that here. A special way to sidestep this, though, is with the fresh juice drinks: My citrus punch, with a base of blood oranges and a range of berries, was refreshingly sweet.

Rouge Tomate is uneven-– but you gotta give it points for being ambitious-– it’s truly innovative in following a huge list of health and diet guidelines, and the presentation manages to be high-end and befitting the quite-high price point. Unfortunately, the uneven food, overly-sprawling atmosphere and corresponding spotty service (our waiter seemed very busy running back and forth to give true personal attention) keep this health shrine from reaching the top level yet.

~Stephen Milioti

Rouge Tomate, 14 E. 60th St., between Fifth and Madison Aves. (646) 861.0842

The Verdict:

Taste- 7/10
Looks- 7/10
Value- 6/10
Service- 7/10

Overall ... 27/40