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Home & Kitchen

At Raymond Blanc’s Cotswolds Retreat, Nature Guides the Dining Experience

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Courtesy Mattia Aquila

Long before “sustainability” and “farm-to-table” were little more than culinary buzzwords, Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons was already implementing both concepts in a honey-hued corner of the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire. Four decades later, the gastronomy-focused getaway, now part of the Belmond portfolio, continues its pioneering approach to agricultural and culinary excellence, while remaining grounded in nature. 

A self-taught chef, Blanc earned two Michelin stars at Les Quat’Saisons—his first restaurant—in 1981. Still, he wasn’t quite satisfied. “I longed for something more—a home for my guests, a place where every detail mattered,” Raymond Blanc, chef patron of Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, tells Observer. “The moment I first laid eyes on this estate in the Cotswolds, I fell in love and saw an opportunity to bring l’art de vivre [the art of living] to life.” Comprising 27 acres of gardens, orchards and ancient ponds, the property became the canvas for his vision: a retreat that celebrates the best in food, nature and comfort. 

Since the beginning, seasonality, foraging and zero waste were part and parcel of the holistic approach. Gardening started as a complement to the gourmet side and continues to grow in tandem with it. The restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, is a gastronomic force that’s earned and retained two Michelin stars for 40 years. The menu celebrates fresh, locally grown ingredients. The gardeners’ work supports the culinary team’s skill and passion.     

Raymond Blanc. Poppy Thorpe

Across the property, the team nurtures everything from broad beans and zucchinis to edible flowers and chard. Vegetables are chosen through taste trials to find the best ones for the climate, soil type and flavor. “In our heritage garden, specifically, we work alongside Garden Organic to cultivate lost, old and forgotten seeds. It’s primarily for educational purposes, but some make it into the kitchen,” explains John Driscoll, head gardener at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. Rouge Crapaudine, one of the oldest known cultivated beetroot, and Kew Blue, a climbing French bean, are now staples for the chefs. The orchards grow heritage varietals of apples and pears. Most of the produce goes from the ground to the gullet in a matter of hours, without losing an ounce of vibrancy on the back of a truck. 

At Le Manoir, gardening is the first step in exquisite gastronomy. The next requires the skill and dedication of the kitchen, where chefs turn raw products into works of culinary art. In the evenings, the well-lit dining room buzzes with diners digging into beautiful, seasonal plates. It’s a celebration of ingredients in the purest form, with equal thought given to creativity and technique. 

This is farm-to-table at its finest. Chris Terry

The seven-course tasting menu (£255 per person) and wine pairing (£135 per person) is the biggest draw. However, the à la carte option (£215 per person) doesn’t skimp on artistry or flavor. When I visited in early spring, my gastronomic experience started with beetroot terrine and continued onto Cornish lobster tempura, and finished with a pineapple and cherry dessert (I’m dairy-free). Even the most finicky foodie wouldn’t be disappointed by either. The cozy, fire-warmed lounges are the ideal spot to start the evening with an aperitif or bubbles and gourmet snacks (olives and potato chips) before dinner or wind down with a nightcap. 

Overnight guests have the distinct pleasure of rising to the scent of fresh-baked sourdough and pastries, which are offered alongside a breakfast spread including Greek yogurt, berries, local cheese and omelets made with farm-fresh eggs. In the morning, gardeners lead tours of the culinary gardens through the lavender-framed paths, fertile produce beds, greenhouses and orchards. During a March visit, our guide fielded multiple questions about kale spacing, which she was all too happy to answer. Folks are welcome to go for a stroll anytime; I spent hours puttering past the rows and reading the signage for the newly planted spring crops. 

Guests can partake in tours of the culinary gardens through the lavender-framed paths, fertile produce beds, greenhouses and orchards. Paul Wilkinson

In 2017, Le Manoir opened a first-of-its-kind gardening school, which quickly became a respected place of horticultural learning. Budding chefs and the culinary curious can also sign up for half-day introductions and dinner party master classes at the cookery school or opt for a wine tasting tour through the cellars, followed by Champagne and canapés.

At the end of a palate-pleasing day in the countryside, guests can retire to the comforts of individually decorated rooms and suites inspired by Blanc’s travels. In one accommodation, you might find Lalique artwork, a standalone tub and hues that nod to Provence. Other spaces are wrapped in jewel tones and showcase exposed beams. Some have private terraces and small gardens—a reminder that at Le Manoir, nature is a sacred part of the experience. 

Le Manoir opened a first-of-its-kind gardening school in 2017. Paul Wilkinson

More than 40 years after opening, the drive to push the epicurean envelope prevails. “We are constantly looking for ways to innovate and further develop our ethos,” says Blanc. Le Manoir brought on an on-site composter in 2020, which means almost no waste goes to, well, waste. All cooked and raw meat scraps, citrus peels, fruit skins and prunings all get turned into fuel for the garden.

The pioneering property and its two-Michelin-starred restaurant are currently developing a coffee liquor made out of used coffee grounds that would otherwise be discarded. Blanc also has his sights set on a blank plot that’s “well suited for a small vineyard.” At some point in the not-so-distant future, guests might be able to start a memorable meal with a glass of house-made sparkling wine. While the U.K. is a major consumer of wine, it doesn’t have an established viticulture industry like France, Italy or Spain. Creating a model for local production is the next step toward creating a more sustainable gastronomic retreat, and it’s no surprise that Blanc wants to be at the forefront.



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Teruko Brings Wagyu, Sushi and Subterranean Surrealism to Hotel Chelsea

Teruko at Hotel Chelsea. Courtesy Annie Schlechter

It’s Tuesday night at the Hotel Chelsea. Lively coteries loiter on the rosy-hued sidewalk, colored by the white-and-crimson neon sign proudly displayed on the Victorian-era haunt. The late May evening is balmy enough to eat outside, but carries a chill that justifies the fire crackling beside gothic settees in the lobby. To enter the hotel’s newest dining concept, Teruko, which debuted Friday, May 23, I descend to the subterranean level. (Cue former resident Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”)

The staircase is bathed in soft gold light reflecting off the doors of The Lobby Bar and surrealist art. Aromas of grilled peppers waft from the kitchen of the hotel’s streetside Spanish spot, El Quijote. With each step, the ambiance dims until I’m completely immersed in a dark basement corridor with arched brick ceilings. I follow the navy printed noren (flag-like curtains that mark doorways and storefronts in Japan) like breadcrumbs until I enter the cave-like space, which once housed the hotel’s former nightclub, Serena, from 1999 to 2005.

Teruko, abuzz with the 9 p.m. dining crowd (yes, it turns out that 6 p.m. isn’t the only time people are going to dinner at the moment), unfolds in three sections that give way to one another through wide, U-shaped stone archways. The first, at the entrance, is anchored by a large bar—imported from Tokyo hotspot Orchid Bar and lined with like-sized glass bottles of Japanese whisky and sake—and a handful of surrounding tables, ideal for a drink or small bites. The second section features a sushi counter with booth seating along the walls and a handful of tables in the center. The third and final section, tucked in the the back, houses six-person, circular booths and table seating.

The space is divided into three different sections. Courtesy Annie Schlechter

The textured, baroque-influenced interior creates a unique setting for Japanese fare and art. The floors are antique limestone, the walls are lined with salvaged wood and panels of indigo-dyed denim, and all the booths are upholstered in crushed blue velvet. Teruko’s most noteworthy design element, however, is the art adorning the space: eight originals by Teruko Yokoi, the late Japanese-Swiss artist who inspired Hotel Chelsea, Sunday Hospitality Group and partner Charles Seich to create their fourth collaborative dining concept in her honor. 

Yokoi, who passed away in 2020, painted some of her most important early works while living at the hotel from 1958 to 1961. Known for weaving modern American abstraction with Japanese visual culture, Yokoi has been featured in nearly 100 exhibitions, the most recent of which runs through June 14 at Hollis Taggart in New York.

The menu at Teruko, created by executive chef Tadashi Ono and head sushi chef Hideaki Watanabe, is a traditional mix of chilled and hot Japanese appetizers, such as tuna sashimi, wagyu tartare with spicy red miso and quail egg, edamame and fried chicken thigh with black vinegar sauce and yuzu mayo ($11 to $34), grilled seafood and meats ($32 to $165), rice and noodles ($15 to $42) and traditional edomae-style sushi (priced $18 to $58 for rolls and $8 to $28 per piece for sashimi and nigiri).

The kale Caesar is crisp, earthy and fresh. Baby kale leaves, versus full-grown roughage, offer a more tender bed for the blanched asparagus, green beans, tomatoes, avocado and delightfully chewy yet crunchy tofu croutons.

Robata grilled Ozaki Wagyu. Courtesy Teruko

I am compelled to try the robata grilled Ozaki Wagyu, which my enthusiastic server suggests is a flagship dish of Teruko—one that is difficult to find in other restaurants and “too good to be graded” (by the Japanese Meat Grading Association, that is; I have no qualms rating it). In terms of its rarity, he’s right. According to Wagyu Master Europe, this wagyu beef took 30 years for farmer Muneharu Ozaki to perfect and is only raised on his farm in Kyūshū island’s Miyazaki Prefecture. The cattle are raised on 15 kinds of feed, batched over two hours into one mixture every day and night, and are aged until 28 to 36 months before slaughtering, so the fat marbles and the flavor deepens.

Seven slices of glistening, medium-rare meat are laid on a plate beside a small wooden board of fresh-ground wasabi (light, not overpowering and exceptionally smooth), coarse salt, thin-sliced carrots and sprouts, and a side of chimichurri. It was initially served without instruction, so I tried one slice with shiso chimichurri and another with wasabi and salt. The latter, less Americanized method was superior, and the server soon confirmed that this was his preferred pairing, too. The first strip contained the most fat and was chewier than I expected for Wagyu exceeding A5. The second was better, though still too chewy to sever with my front teeth, and the third and fourth slices proved most tender. The flavor was rich throughout, but not the type of religious experience one wants from a $98, three-ounce steak.

The menu is largely Japanese, with some Western influence. Teruko

For sashimi and nigiri, I asked for the sushi chef’s choice—whatever was freshest or most interesting. Despite funky offerings like gizzard shad or decadent options like lobster-caviar, the final selections were simple: mackerel and toro. Both were good, with a gorgeous wasabi layer and rice base, but the toro was a touch tougher than I prefer.

The hamachi jalapeño salsa roll boasts a nice, fresh zing from the fresh-diced pepper, which complements the yellowtail tuna and bright cucumber salsa. I am most excited to try the toro taku because it includes my ideal fatty fish and my all-time favorite vegetable, radish. The radish, while offering a pleasant smoked flavor, is cut into chunks and mixed in with the fish—distracting from the toro itself, which, regrettably, like the nigiri, was not buttery. The kara hotate roll stands out most, with tender scallop minced with spicy mayo and tobiko that pops rather delightfully between bites of smoky heat.

Crêpes Suzette. Courtesy Teruko

The hotel’s pastry chef, Paty Zamarripa, has designed an artful dessert menu mixing Japanese ingredients with some French flair, such as the Crêpes Suzette with citrus glaze and ginger ice cream. The Sekitei, named after the Japanese rock gardens created to inspire Zen Buddhist meditation, is one of the highlights of the entire meal. Constructed like a real rock garden and served on beautiful stoneware, the gray “stone” centerpiece is filled with umber-colored hojicha mousse that, when cracked open, oozes miso caramel sauce onto a dusting of crushed sesame almond crumble, mimicking the sand and gravel in the zen gardens. Small stones filled with a pale, sweeter mousse surround the largest stone. Enjoyed with a silky uji no sato sencha tea poured at the ideal temperature, the presentation, texture and subtleties of earthy, sweet flavors in this dish encapsulate a celebration of Japanese food and art. 

While there may be better places for melt-in-your-mouth edomae sushi at comparable—or cheaper—prices, Teruko, like the rest of the Hotel Chelsea, isn’t an experience dictated by food alone. It’s a place you go to drink in gothic architecture, exceptional art and sip on the spiritual remnants of the creatives who once feasted on song and literature within its walls. Teruko feels enigmatic—a Japanese restaurant in an old nightclub in a 141-year-old co-op-turned luxury hotel that celebrates the success of an exceptional immigrant artist who leaves a legacy behind.



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Home & Kitchen

Where to Sip Natural Wine in Los Angeles

Over the last decade, the natural wine movement has gained major traction as consumers continue to shift toward a more organic way of living, eating and drinking. To put it simply, natural wine is basically untouched, fermented grape juice, and it is known for having a funkier profile with yeasty notes on both the nose and palate. In addition to being made with little-to-no additives or pesticides, natural wines also have a lower alcohol volume and fewer sulfites, and since it is virtually unregulated, trust in the winemaker is essential. Though traditionalists tend to prefer conventional wines, natural wines are vibrant, unique and less likely to leave you with an unforgiving hangover.

In Los Angeles, several bars and restaurants have embraced the shift toward low-intervention vino by working with organic purveyors from all across California, Italy, France and beyond. In addition to actual natural wine bars like Good Clean Fun and El Prado, restaurants such as Coucou, Crudo e Nudo and Dudley Market have also curated their wine offerings to showcase the beauty and diversity of naturally-produced varietals. Whether you’re looking to pair fresh seafood with a bottle of biodynamic rosé or want to enjoy a tangy orange inside Echo Park’s coolest Euro-esque watering hole, we’ve got you covered on where to sip natural wine in Los Angeles.



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Home & Kitchen

At Moor Hall, Chef Mark Birchall Quietly Sets a New Standard for British Dining

Chef Mark Birchall at Moor Hall. Courtesy Moor Hall

At Moor Hall, the meal is about the journey. But visiting the elegant English countryside compound is also very much about the destination. Located in the village of Aughton, in the picturesque Lancashire countryside, Moor Hall has established itself as a British culinary mecca, an identity that was augmented earlier this year when it received its third Michelin star. For chef Mark Birchall, creating that sensibility has been a constant progression since Moor Hall debuted in 2017.

Birchall, formerly the chef at Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume in Cumbria, partnered with investors Andy and Tracey Bell in 2015, and spent nearly a year looking for the right site. He was attracted to Lancashire because it’s where he grew up, but he wasn’t sure what the actual site would look like. They visited derelict village pubs and old barns before eventually happening upon Moor Hall, a grand Grade II-listed estate dating back to 1282. The current manor house was built in 1533, and its history is still evident in the building, although it took a lot of work to transform it from a private home to a fine dining outpost.

“At the time of the first viewing, I wasn’t too sure,” Birchall tells Observer, speaking from the restaurant’s private dining room in late April. He’s soft spoken and humble, despite Moor Hall’s many accolades, which include a green Michelin star for sustainability. “I thought the building was a little bit dark, maybe too old,” he admits. “But on the second visit, I could start to visualize what we could do with the building, where we could put a restaurant, how we could get planning for an extension. I could visualize what we could do with the gardens.”

Moor Hall. Courtesy Moor Hall

When I arrive at Moor Hall on a sunny day in late April, many of Birchall’s imaginings have come to life. The original manor house has been expanded to incorporate the light-filled dining room and high-end kitchen. The gardens are immaculately planted and kept, with several greenhouses and beds of produce and herbs. Fourteen newly-opened luxury hotel rooms surround a small lake, a welcome respite from the buzz of London I’ve come to escape. The former barn has since been converted into the appropriately-named The Barn, a one-Michelin-star restaurant where overnight guests of Moor Hall are invited for breakfast. Soon, the private dining room will be revamped in partnership with Macallan whisky. There are hopes of additional growing fields for ingredients like potatoes, or even hazelnut trees inoculated with truffle spores.

It’s a significant responsibility for someone who originally signed up solely as the chef. “There are two restaurants I’m responsible for, and it’s a lot of work,” Birchall says. “We’ve got the bedrooms. It’s been a lot to take on. I enjoy it when it’s going well, especially when the weather is nice like this.”

Carrots served with Doddington cheese. Courtesy Mark Bristol/Moor Hall

The menu continues to evolve, although Birchall doesn’t change things simply to change them. Some of the dishes have been part of the tasting experience since the restaurant first opened, including the carrots served with Doddington cheese, the turnip and crab dish and the aptly-balanced aged beef tartare (my personal highlight). “They are far superior to what they were when we first opened and we got our initial star,” Birchall notes. “We just try to keep refining. We’ve had different textures on the carrots. The presentation has changed. The plate itself was fired [in a kiln] with byproducts from the kitchen to give it the right look.”

What hasn’t changed is Birchall’s ethos, who says he has always wanted to “start with produce from our doorstep and work our way out.” That can mean ingredients from Moor Hall’s garden or strawberries from a nearby purveyor. The lobster comes from North Yorkshire and the guinea hen from Saint-Sever, France, but Birchall is generally focused on Lancashire and what the region has to offer.

“I’ve consciously made an effort not to move the goalposts of how we work and the philosophy of the restaurant,” he says. “That’s all down to the produce. I want to keep a clear direction for myself and the team. I’ve really stuck with things. And especially through quieter times and difficult periods, I have been a bit stubborn. But I am stuck to what I want and what I know. It’s the only way to keep moving forward properly.”

The gardens are a crucial part of the project. Courtesy Moor Hall

At Moor Hall, lunch and dinner are presented as a tasting menu. (Lunch starts at £125 per person, the Provenance menu starts at £235 per person.) But it’s far more involved than simply sitting down for a meal in the dining room. The experience begins in the lounge, located in the old part of Moor Hall, where wooden beams traverse the ceiling and the fireplace reveals several eras of history in its layers. Snacks are served alongside drinks and presented with artistic flair. One, a warm bite of black pudding, pays tribute to Lancashire, where the dish is from. Another invites guests to spread aged Kaluga caviar onto homemade crackers decorated with herbs and flowers from the garden.

Despite the sunshine, it was still cold when I visited, so my dinner continued via the kitchen, where the final snack was served. But in warmer months, Birchall invites guests through the garden and then into the kitchen. “We’re trying to give that nice journey through the whole place,” he says. “So by the time you arrive at the table, you’re already blown away.” The core of the meal, a succession of dishes, is perfectly paced and showcased with some tableside flair. Those who opt for a cheese course (I was too full) get to visit the refrigerated cheese room. The third dessert is offered back in the lounge, completing the culinary journey. “You need to feel the crescendo,” Birchall notes.

The stop in the kitchen on the way to the table is purposeful—not just to delight guests, but also to inform them. When I visited, the countertop was piled with the ingredients that would comprise the meal: lobster, carrots, beets, asparagus, rhubarb, oysters, caviar, preserved ginger and more. For Birchall, who greets each diner personally, it’s a way of creating a visual link between ingredient and dish. “It’s about that connection,” he says. “You might walk through the garden and see radishes growing. And then when you see it on the plate, those are the radishes from the garden. It’s lovely to connect that for people.”

Each dish shows off the farm-to-table experience. Mark Bristol

Birchall also draws the local culture into the menu. Between the savory courses and the desserts, the chef presents an artful gingerbread ice cream, which is actually shaped like a piece of ginger. It pays homage to the adjacent town of Ormskirk, a locale known for its history with gingerbread dating back to the 17th century. “That’s another dish that has been on the menu from the start,” Birchall says. “It started off as a bowl of ice cream with these little sugar strands on the top and the candied fruits underneath. There’s not actually any gingerbread in the dish. Now we use candied root vegetables, pine and spruce to create that flavor profile along with the ice cream.”

For those who stay overnight in one of the rooms, the journey continues after you wake up. Breakfast is served in The Barn as a mini tasting menu, and it is as thoughtful as everything offered the night before. It’s almost too much food—emphasis on almost—and it augments the scope of what Moor Hall is doing with ingredients. There’s also some requisite black pudding alongside a sculptural eggs Benedict that looks like something out of a contemporary art museum. This is all in addition to the afternoon tea service that arrives to the room shortly after check-in, a charming element.

“We want to make you feel like you want to come back,” Birchall says. “And when you’re here, you don’t want to leave. When you come somewhere like this it should feel like it’s got value. All restaurants are expensive—everything’s expensive now—but you want to feel like you spent well and it was worth it, regardless of whether it has no star or three stars.”

Banks Blackberries: Muscovado, woodruff and oxalis. Courtesy Moor Hall

That coveted third star has, of course, made an impact on Moor Hall. England has very few three-Michelin-starred restaurants outside of London, and even fewer in the north. Aughton has five Michelin stars and only 8,000 residents, a huge achievement for a village located hours away from the culinary capital. “It doesn’t feel like we’re in the middle of nowhere because we’re close to Liverpool and Manchester, but to have three stars up here was unheard of,” Birchall says. “The attention that’s happening away from London over the last ten years has been amazing.”

Still, the chef acknowledges that things aren’t that much different from when Moor Hall had two stars. “I’m seeing my family less, and we’re a lot busier,” he says. “There’s been a lot more attention, including international attention. But life hasn’t really changed. The restaurant is the same. The food is the same.”

Moor Hall. Moor Hall

From the outside, Moor Hall’s trajectory to a highly decorated restaurant appears seamless. But it’s been what Birchall describes as “bloody hard work,” especially with the interruption of the pandemic. And despite all of the awards and the stars, the chef feels like this is only the beginning of a longer story, much like Moor Hall’s original building.

“Eight years old is nothing for the age of a restaurant,” Birchall says. “It is absolutely nothing. This was just a home before, so we’ve literally come out of nowhere. And I think we’ve got a long way to go.”



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Home & Kitchen

Where to Find the Best Negronis in L.A.

The Negroni is a classic Italian cocktail known for its vibrant, spirit-forward nature. This timeless tipple was reportedly created in 1919 at Florence’s Caffè Casoni, and is typically served as an apéritif before a comforting Italian meal. Though the traditional recipe for a classic Negroni calls for only three ingredients (equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, garnished with an orange slice or orange peel), several Los Angeles bars and restaurants have put their own spin on the Negroni. Mezcal, in particular, is a popular substitute for gin, while the Negroni Sbagliato, which had its viral moment thanks to House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy, boasts a bubbly Prosecco profile.

Places like Capri Club in Eagle Rock serve a few different renditions of the Negroni, including a frozen version. Though a standard gin Negroni is the most popular, mezcal Negronis are a close second. Renowned DTLA bar Death and Co. and Koreatown’s The Normandie Club both use rum in theirs, proving that the Negroni is just as versatile as it is classic. Whether you want to get a balanced buzz at one of West Hollywood’s hottest new Italian eateries or sip on a rooftop in Beverly Hills, we’ve got you covered on where to get the best Negronis in Los Angeles.



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Home & Kitchen

9 Incredible Dining Experiences to Inspire a Quick City Getaway

Beyond New York City’s surplus of dining options, splattered like glitter through the grid-marked streets, stretch quieter roads that wind towards places less traveled. Miles apart amidst the tumbling hillscapes, one may find, if they’re lucky, an exquisite place to eat.

I myself grew up on a dirt road an hour from Manhattan, in a setting my West Coast relatives wouldn’t believe was actually New Jersey. In early adulthood, I fled to Los Angeles, Milan and London before returning to the Garden State in 2013—and relished that some of the industry’s most prestigious culinary talents have, too, made their way back to more pastoral pastures after tenures at prestigious restaurants and culinary publications. Over the last five years, I have witnessed veterans from Chez Panisse, Per Se, the Ritz-Carlton and Saveur settle down in small-town kitchens just an hour beyond the boroughs—and it is absolutely worth the reverse commute.

While heavy-hitters from renowned hospitality ventures are enough of an excuse to ditch the reservation queue in Manhattan for a day, there are plenty of untapped treasures throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York State, from bed-and-breakfasts to unique supper series. Many of these lesser-known spots with comforting ambiances and quality bites make it well worth a 40 to 90 minute drive from the hustle and bustle of busy city life. And, due to their bucolic settings, farm-to-fork becomes far easier and more accessible. In fact, one may find themselves having breakfast on Broadway, plucking strawberries from sun-ripened soil in the middle of nowhere at lunch and eating hand-harvested beet risotto in a renovated stable by dusk.



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Bar Bianchi Brings a Taste of Milanese Aperitivo Culture to the East Village

Bar Bianchi is bringing a taste of Milan to the East Village. Courtesy Liz Clayman

From the pocket-sized, sultry Elvis in Nolita to the effortlessly chic Tabac-inspired wine bar Le Dive in Dimes Square, Golden Age Hospitality founder Jon Neidich has proven he’s fluid in French cool-factor. It flows through his repertoire of downtown restaurants and bars, including The Nines and Monsieur. And with the opening of Bar Bianchi, a Milanese-style aperitivo in the East Village, Neidich proves he can speak Italian It-boy, too. 

Aperitivo is the quintessential Italian pastime of gathering at local bars and cafés over drinks and complimentary snacks (“spuntini”) in the evening. It comes from the word “aperire,” meaning to open one’s senses and appetite before dinner, and is part of the fabric of Italian culture. Having lived in Milano, I am fastidious about American restaurants serving aperitivi authentically, and arrived at Bar Bianchi as one of its first official patrons to see whether it would. 

For an indoor-outdoor bar to really ooze Italian, the weather needs to cooperate. As the wet wind blew sideways down Avenue A on Bar Bianchi’s opening night, it was evident that the establishment would not have any balmy spring sun in its favor this evening. But between the good hospitality from my engaging server (a light-eyed blonde who was once a professional pool player), the Venetian plaster, and walls of green doors lined with hooks begging to be unlatched, it’s still got potential.

Is there anything more Italian than an al fresco spritz? Liz Clayman

In lieu of a piazza bathed in the blush light of dusk, Bar Bianchi has the zippy corner of Avenue A and East Houston. Its al fresco dining tables, barren the night it opened to the public on May 6, are stationed under a long awning and a boldface Bar Bianchi sign that casts red and green neon onto the sidewalk. Inside, the restaurant, which Neidich launched in partnership with Paradise Projects, checks the boxes of a Golden Hospitality hub. It falls somewhere between the picturesque daydream of a Wes Anderson shot (perhaps because it was inspired by Fondazione Prada’s Bar Luce in Milan, designed by the filmmaker) and the drippy velvet glow of Moulin Rouge (not just because Neidich’s last collaboration, Monsieur, was with Baz Luhrmann). 

Reminiscent of 1920s and ‘30s Italian cafés with touches of modernism, Bar Bianchi was designed by Neidich, Golden’s creative director Andrea Johansson and longtime collaborator Sam Buffa, of The Nines and Frenchette. The diamond-checkerboard floor is made from handcrafted clay tiles imported from Italy. Custom millwork is evocative of charming, outdated Italian cafés untouched by time. The light fixtures shift between milky yellow space-age sconces salvaged in the Czech Republic and vintage Italian glass sculptural sconces. The sweeping space is anchored by the long zinc and Formica bar with an aged mirrored wall and an Art Deco canopy.

The interiors are also a nod to Bianchi, the Milan-based bicycle brand. Liz Clayman

It’s clear from the many vintage bicycle posters and the bar’s namesake that Neidich’s first foray into Italian hospitality is also a nod to Bianchi, the Milan-based bicycle brand with an international cult following. Founded by Edoardo Bianchi in 1885, the brand was not only pivotal in the role bicycles played in Italian history, fostering Fausto Coppi’s wins in the 1947 Giro d’Italia and 1949 Tour de France, but also in bicycle mechanics as we know them today. The only missed opportunity to drive home the Bianchi theme was the shade of green selected for the interior—more pistachio than the celeste green that became Bianchi’s quintessential bike color, inspired by his lover Celeste’s favorite sea-foam hue. 

The food and beverage menu (from chef Nicole Gajadhar and Libertine’s Cody Pruitt) is simple, straightforward Italian with a sizable selection of antipasti (ranging $7 to $24) for a seamless aperitivo. Should you make Bar Bianchi a dinner engagement, they also offer a few central Italian pasta dishes, such as cacio e pepe and pappardelle Bolognese, larger piatti (a $26 branzino, $32 steak tagliata or $76 veal Milanese for two) and desserts like affogato, tiramisú, gelato and a chocolate budino.

I went for aperitivo before a dinner reservation in Chelsea and opted for some classic, smaller bites. The prosciutto melone was a highlight. The execution of this dish relies solely on the quality of the prosciutto and the ripeness of the cantaloupe. If sourced well, like Bar Bianchi did, the deep, salty fabric of the aged pig melts into the juicy, sweet slices of melon and the flavors work their magic.

Another testament to sourcing was the tuna tonnato, which was shaved so thin and tenderly it was almost too difficult to pluck from the plate. It was covered in crispy fried capers and a creamy dijon sauce that was a little too heavy-handed; it eclipsed the carpaccio that was otherwise presentable.

The Caprese salad featured mozzarella made in-house daily. It was bright and fresh, with multi-colored cherry tomatoes, olive oil and basil leaves. It was also topped with two stewed tomatoes stripped of their skin. Bursting with sweet flavor, followed by a saturated salinity, my guess is they’re San Marzano. I wished there were more of them.

Bar Bianchi does small bites well. Courtesy Liz Clayman

I also tried the piatti del giorno, a mushroom tortellini in brodo. I was excited to scoop up the pillows of pasta in a traditional capon broth as a cure to the chilly, rainy evening (and the assertive AC blasting inside). The tortellini pocketed the earthy mushroom filling beautifully, but the dish pivoted from tradition with a plated mushroom broth reduction instead of liquid broth in a shallow bowl. 

Most of the food felt true to an Italian aperitivo format and, while not the meal of a lifetime, it is high quality, particularly for the pricing, and warrants a return. Being a bar focused on aperitivo, the drinks are half the equation here. Wines by the glass and bottle, as well as the cocktail list (consisting only of spritz, Negroni and three Bianchi classics), all stay within the confines of Italian borders. First and foremost, for me, is the Aperol Spritz. I ordered a large because it comes in a bubbly goblet that made me feel like I’d landed in the Navigli district of Milano. The drink had the ideal ratio of bitters to prosecco, served with an orange slice and Castelvetrano olive, just how I like it. 

An authentic spritz. Liz Clayman

The defining benchmark for whether Bar Bianchi is truly an aperitivo came down to how the drink was served. Every restaurant in New York with “aperitivo” dusted in chalk across their café display sign has an immediate tell as to whether it’s authentic: olives. I don’t mean the type of marinated olives you order off the menu, but the kind served alongside your vino rosso or refreshingly biting Negroni—often with potato chips, and always on the house. To be honest, I secretly feel accosted by the American service industry when some Italian restaurant calls it aperitivo, and then doles out watery spritzes with no palate-whetting nibbles. In Italy, any aperitivo includes salt-flecked snacks to complement your drink of choice for just a few euros. It’s integral to this cultural tradition that is less about drinking and more about the social experience of opening the appetite before dinner.

At Bar Bianchi, the chips, served at no extra charge, were made in-house, waffle-knit with air pockets for extra crunch. The olives were plump Castelvetrano. There was nowhere to spit the pits, but the cultural accuracy was a win that positions Neidich for another victorious New York bar balancing authenticity and theatrical design. To solidify the success of Bar Bianchi, we’ll have to wait for the weather—once summer spills the crowd onto the street, sweating spuntini and sipping Aperol in the Golden Hospitality-induced glow of Italian etherealism.



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Home & Kitchen

The 10 Best New Restaurants to Check Out in New York City This May

May is a bit of a confusing time in New York, weather-wise: are we indoor people or outdoor people? This means that what you might be craving for dinner on any given night can vacillate wildly, from soups to spritzes. Perhaps it’s no coincidence, then, that this month’s new restaurants are also a bit of a grab-bag. From a burger joint to a multi-course tasting menu, it seems there’s an opening that caters to every sort of diner, regardless of budget or cuisine craving.

And, just like spring, this month is also a time of renewal for restaurants. Not only is the hotly anticipated reopening of Adda finally happening this May, but a long-shuttered Williamsburg institution, JR & Son, is also back in action. And, we’re welcoming the first New York outpost of NADC Burger, which already counts fans in cities like Austin and Denver.

But what quality do all these restaurants have in common? Well, that’s easy: they’re delicious. Plus, we’ve already done the arduous work of whittling down this group to only the can’t-miss places to try this month. Read on to discover the 10 best new restaurants to check out in New York City this May.



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