The practical constraints of real estate impose their own small, intimate aesthetic on many New York restaurants, and often the food follows suit.In dramatic contrast to that norm, Devin Tavern, a new TriBeCa restaurant, occupies a luxuriously large space, and — as though to glory in its ample elbow room — fills it with big, ponderous flavors.

What was a dairy warehouse is now a two-story, brick- and leather-furnished citadel of dining, created by the team behind the nearby stylish steakhouse Dylan Prime. Executive chef Christopher Dunn, who also presides at Dylan Prime, has created a menu of about 40 American dishes that are hearty in the extreme. The appetizers — chicken and biscuits, stuffed pork belly — sound like main courses, and go down like main courses, too. Even a plain salad becomes a complicated affair of several kinds of lettuce and fruit. The chicken and biscuits ($12), made with fresh upstate chicken, is an instant classic. In some chicken-and-biscuits dishes, the bird is a guest of honor — dutifully filling its seat in the dish but without much relevant flavor to contribute — but in this one it’s the hardworking star. Meaty, full-flavored pieces tangle with aromatic mushrooms, carrots, celery, and herbs in a bowl of creamy broth that’s also deeply flavored by the chicken. It says a lot for the little stew that it holds the attention even with three buttery, golden, near-perfect biscuits by its side.

The pork belly starter ($14) is less likely to become a classic. A ring of braised belly meat, with only a thin streak of the usual plentiful fat, encircles mushroom stuffing. It’s rich — and in a typical maneuver, a poached duck egg on top makes it more so — but not terribly distinctive.The tastiest item on the plate is a cool, lemony salad of arugula and fresh cranberry beans. Another overdetermined starter, a corn soufflé ($11), has a beautiful airy structure and sweet corn taste, at least until the server cuts it open at the table and pours in a beakerful of lobster bisque. A less intense restaurant might use a delicate bisque to complement the corn, but Devin’s crushing sense of scale will not be denied; this bisque is dark and concentrated, its vigorous lobster flavor weighing down the dish with hints of sherry and blue cheese.

Main courses, as might be expected, lean toward the heavy side as well. Roast duck ($28) is among the best: slices of red, juicy, fatty meat strewn on top of a darkly flavorful swamp of grilled mushrooms, apples, bacon, rosemary, and more shreds of duck. The contrasts on the plate are simple but enjoyable, and a pair of madeleines made of cornbread neatly iconify the rustic-yet-refined mood of the dish.

Duck, with its meaty, sturdy character, takes well to the chef’s muscular aesthetic. Fish, less so. He grills a whole red snapper ($35) over a smoky wood fire and wraps it in a crusty, intensely peppery coat, as though the fish’s delicate, savory flesh is something to cover up. Underneath the fish one finds excellent fresh pickles: beets, cauliflower, and crunchy green beans. A mixed seafood bowl ($29) of shrimps, scallops, mussels, and clam-like cockles works better, enhancing the taste of the shellfish with soft tomatoes and a thin, lemony broth that’s admirable in its restraint.

Pork ribs ($26) seem like the sort of dish Devin would do well, but the juicy delicacies, cut from luxurious, top-quality Berkshire swine, are left too much to their own devices. The meat itself is quite good, light in texture and sweet in taste, but with only a cursory spice rub and gentle cooking, there’s almost no surface savor to latch onto, and gnawing through the bland pile gets tedious.

Beyond the pleasures of the poultry, perhaps the most enjoyable items at Devin Tavern are the cocktails. Each $12, these include a “seasonal old-fashioned,” made with dry bourbon and a muddling of fresh fruit; a Manhattan that includes a splash of port; and the “Blood and Sand,” a classic concoction of scotch, orange juice, and house-infused cherry brandy that’s much more harmonious than it sounds. There’s also a nice choice of mostly New World wines in large calibers suited to the food, like the meaty, purple Quivira zinfandel ($13 a glass).

The sight of savory cheesecakes ($13) on the dessert menu after such a weighty meal is confounding, but they’re good if you can face them, one made with goat cheese, salty and light, the other pungent with Maytag blue. Salty, semi-sweet chocolate-covered potato chips ($10), studded with candied nuts and fruit, are somewhat daunting as well. Those who prefer a sweet dessert can opt for a peach Melba ($10), in which an intact half-peach is nearly drowned in raspberry sauce and set on a disc of mild buttermilk ice cream; or a traditional, seasonal warm blueberry pie ($10), which just happens to be oversized.

Devin Tavern, 363 Greenwich St., between Franklin and Harrison streets, 212-334-7337.