CANNON BEACH – Winemakers speak reverentially about a sense of place – the almost mystical way in which specific grapes convey the “taste” of the soil and climate in which they’re grown. Terroir, the French call it.

Restaurant owners and chefs yearn for that same elusive quality, although in their case it has little to do with geography or weather. These folks hope customers will patronize their establishment, not just because the food and service are spot-on, but also because the ambience is as intoxicating as a favored wine. In other words, they hope their restaurant “feels” right.

Cafe Mango used to be such a place, a gayly decorated creperie with cozy tables and comforting counter seating lodged amid a group of businesses in midtown Cannon Beach. Last May, the cafe moved into Ecola Square, a downtown complex that houses the typical Cannon Beach array of galleries and trendy shops. The contrast between the pleasantly funky old Mango and the new establishment is startling, like a winemaker pulling up stakes and transplanting his vineyard to the other side of the hill.

Such a move might make sense wine-wise, if the new location’s weather and soil are better suited to grape growing. But a restaurant should be darn sure a relocation suits its needs and enhances its standing among customers. Is the atmosphere superior to the former digs, for instance? And with dinner added to the menu, can the kitchen pull off three meals a day?

Currently, that feels-just-right milieu appears missing at the new Mango. For one thing, the cafe is situated on the second floor, and restaurants with such settings are said to suffer a location curse. Supposedly, people are reluctant to walk up a flight of stairs for a meal. But Mango’s main concern is that once potential diners do tromp upward (an elevator is also available), the restaurant doesn’t seem as inviting as previously.

True, the aromas emanating from the kitchen are enticing, servers are amicable and fresh mangoes are placed strategically amid menus on a small table at the entrance. What’s wrong is the setup – so far a disappointing attempt at second-story chic that feels neither upscale nor down home. A half dozen or so wooden tables in two dining areas are arranged more like a lunch room than a top-end eatery. Plus they’re unadorned; there are no flowers or tablecloths, and the napkins are paper instead of linen. Wall sconces are the sole decor on the pale yellow walls trimmed underneath with attractive tongue-in-groove woodwork. Orange ceilings help convey the warm tropical theme, but a gas fireplace away from the bulk of the tables doesn’t help much.

Some type of softening might remedy the unfavorable acoustics. On one occasion, a table of five boisterous diners across the room intermittently drowned out conversation between my companion and me. If the place had been packed, discourse would have been nigh impossible.

OK, the new abode is a work in progress. But so far, dinners here rank a notch below the breakfast and lunch fare at the first Mango, a three-star-rated restaurant (Coast Weekend, Feb. 22, 2002).

The cafe’s initial dinner menu (a new fall menu is in the works) shows promise, some realized, some unfulfilled. A splendid starter of plump panfried salmon cakes comes crested with a remolade hinting at mangoes. But the Mediterranean salad – a mishmash of spinach, pine nuts, olives, feta, more chopped tomatoes than you’d ever want to eat in one setting and a slew of sliced and pungent pepperoncinis – is a poorly chosen potpourri of ingredients more akin to a cutting board of leftover pizza toppings swept onto a plate. Portabella ravioli sounds and looks impressive. And while fresh herbs lend subtle flavor to the sizable pasta pillows redolent of mushrooms, a heavy cream sauce inundates the dish.

Still, Cafe Mango has much to recommend. A mango salad dressed with a raspberry-walnut vinaigrette is a worthy starter. Same for the French onion soup, a classic thin broth afloat with oversized gruyere “croutons.” Wondrous bread for dipping comes from California’s La Brea Bakery (shipped as preshaped loaves, then baked in the restaurant’s oven). Thyme-infused rack of lamb, the meat silken and juicy, is sided by marvelous garlic mashed potatoes, and the cafe’s signature mangoes make a strong statement in an invigorating salsa (not for the faint of mouth) that accompanies the simple but solid pork tamale.

A slice of cheesecake or very sweet carrot cake will take that fiery edge off your palate, but these institutional-looking desserts taste only so-so. Co-owner Lisa Nelson (in tandem with Daniel Ursic) promises more inventive, and homemade, desserts – say, Thai sweet rice garnished with mangoes – on chef Will Chapman’s upcoming autumn menu. Butternut squash soup, a shrimp satay, cioppino and Cornish game hens stuffed with mushrooms and wild rice also will make appearances.

Of course, mornings at Mango you can still order an apple, hazelnut and cinnamon crepe or a chorizo breakfast burrito and, come noontime, a buffalo burger or a number of top-flight salads. And who knows? With time, the cafe’s staff may recapture Mango’s feels-just-right vibes – this time around, a second-story revision.

Contact the Mouth at The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103, phone (503) 325-3211 or e-mail mouth@dailyastorian.com

Cafe Mango

Two and a half stars (out of four)

Ecola Square, 123 S. Hemlock St.,

Cannon Beach

(503) 436-2393

Hours: 9 a.m to 9 p.m. Thursday through Monday

Prices: Moderate to expensive. Starters cost $5.50 to $12.95, entrees $13.95 to $35.95, desserts $5.

Superior selections: Mango-raspberry salad, French onion soup, salmon cakes, rack of lamb, pork tamales, black beans and rice

Atmosphere: Attempted upscale, upstairs chic that doesn’t quite happen

Service: Amicable and knowledgeable

Kid-friendly: There’s a multi-item children’s menu.

Vegetarian options: Currently, portabella ravioli and a few appetizers

Alcohol: A small wine list and six bottled beers

Access: An elevator is available for wheelchair users. The restrooms (reached via a hallway outside the restaurant) are accessible to patrons with disabilities.

Credit cards: Mastercard, Visa

Personal checks: Accepted

Reservations: Recommended for dinner

Smoking: Not permitted