This fall has been so packed with restaurant and bar openings that it’s hard to keep up with all the ribbon-cutting. So we rounded up which spots will be the hottest this season — as well as the delicious dishes and drinks you definitely need to sample.
The Bar in the Cellar
This new underground bar at the Andaz 5th Avenue hotel might not serve the cheapest cocktails around (the average price is about $14) but you’d be hard-pressed to find some as delicious. Signature shaken cocktails for the fall — all made with fresh ingredients — include The Cellar Door, The Perry Grove and The Mexican Firing Squad.
485 Fifth Ave.
212-601-1234
Donatella
Chef Jarett Appell, formally of Mia Dona, spent three months in Italy studying under Naples’ foremost master pizza-maker to help open this Chelsea pizzeria. The menu serves up seven varieties of pizza with toppings such as marinara, spicy sausage or marinated mushroom. They also offer a nice pasta selection, including sea-urchin spaghetti and paccheri noodles prepared Genovese-style.
184 Eighth Ave.
212-493-5150
Restaurant i
This atypical name originates from the Korean word for “the dream that children may carry.” Owner Charles Chong has created a menu composed of traditional Asian ingredients along with modern cuisine such as miso cod with bok choy, carrot ginger emulsion, steamed rice and grilled angus strip steak with pea shoot tops, herbed French fries and ginger soy.
893 Broadway
646-398-9663
Nuela
Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador meet in a delectable edible fashion at this recently opened restaurant in the Flatiron district. Sample the roasted suckling pig or the striped bass topped with anchovies, chorizo and pickled peppers to feel the heat of these Latin lands.
43 W. 24th St.
212-929-1200
Bar Basque
Bar Basque, opening today, features a mix of contemporary and classic Basque dishes. Executive Chef de Cuisine Yuhi Fujinaga will serve up pintxos (small refined tapas) as well as an array of grilled dishes, shellfish, fresh day-boat catches, prime dry-aged meats and vegetables.
839 Sixth Ave.
646-600-7150
