Stepping into the dusky subterranean haunt that is Madame in downtown Jersey City, you feel the hipster vibe but are not necessarily prepared for a redefining margarita like the Spicy Demoiselle. The most scintillating of many good cocktails here, it teases with licks of hibiscus, espelette chili, strawberry and mint; ravishes with its blush hue; and tickles with the perfume of orchid blossom in a thicket of mint.

Since opening in November, Madame has distinguished itself in food and drink. “We had a high bar to clear,” admits co-owner and executive chef Jamie Knott, best known for his two NJM Top 30s, the upscale Saddle River Inn and, just a few steps from Madame, spunky Cellar 335. “Our space was formerly occupied by Madame Claude Bis, a long-running and beloved neighborhood place. Madame is named in its honor.”

Knott, with executive chef Christopher Abbamondi and GM Gabriel Rieben, a Parisian native, avail themselves of a door that lets them dash between Madame and the tiki-themed Cellar 335, which share the basement of the 1910-vintage, newly restored White Eagle Hall, once a Polish social club.

“We wanted the new Madame to be just as comfortable and welcoming as its predecessor…but with a naughty, night-owl mood,” says Nutley native Knott, 42. “My inspiration was the late-night scene at downtown Manhattan restaurants 20-plus years ago. That was a funky mix of club kids, fashion people, artists and writers—and chefs just off their shifts, like me. At all these places,” he adds, “the look and menu were always French brasserie, with a great burger and steak frites.”