1170 Broadway | 212.796.1500

You are going to know the name. The NoMad Hotel Restaurant demands to be remembered. And after my last dinner there, I haven’t forgotten about it. It’s definitely a top contender for my last meal in the city when you have to tell the people closest to you that you’ll be extradited to a foreign jurisdiction for transporting a few not-so-legal Francisco De Goyas. It’s somewhere plush, opulent, but not overstated. And the restaurant accomplishes all this on both the atmosphere and the culinary experience.

We were seated in the fireplace area of the dining room. Imagine candy red velvet upholstery and carpet dimly lit with lanterns lining the brutishly dark wood walls. This was old-school Parisian decor. You cannot help but feel transported. While I generally recommend dressing up whenever you leave your apartment (because in such a casual day and age, formality speaks much louder than ever before), I insist you don your finest. The sultry design will only magnify your outfit. Look good enough and you may even inspire next Gucci winter campaign. But not everyone is dressed to the nines (although still somewhat formal) and that helps dampen the stuffiness. The restaurant location, association with The Ace Hotel and Eleven Madison Park, and the design attracts a wide range of diners. And unlike many Uptown restaurants where the ‘classic’ decor reflects its clientele (translation: old), the NoMad is able to juxtapose that very aspect with an array of patrons (young, old, fashionable, unfashionable, families, Guy Fieri lookalikes, couples, friends.)

This was my first attempt to bring my own wine to dinner in the city. Yes, you can do that legally. I paid a $35 corkage fee (that’s per bottle). If you do this, don’t bring shit wine. That makes no sense. Don’t bring a bottle on their wine list (rude and many places won’t let you anyway.) In fact, you should attempt to get a thumbs up from the sommelier (watch the documentary Som if you think these people aren’t badasses in their own right.) Just find a bottle from anyone who won winemaker of the year and you should be fine.

Daniel Humm masterminds Eleven Madison Park (EMP) and this place. The NoMad is a casual version of EMP without the tasting menu but still has the seriousness about the food. Dinner began with Fruits de Mer “Le Grand Plateau” to which my dinner guest exclaimed “I don’t usually like sea urchin and I’m having yours.” The slow poached egg with cauliflower, kale and almonds didn’t impress with its strange soupiness. The shaves of foie gras with mushrooms and beef carpaccio is a must have. The shaves gave it enough richness while keeping the lightness to the appetizer appropriate portion. For the main course there was no option but to have the piece de resistance, the whole roasted chicken for two with foie gras, black truffle and brioche accompanied by lentils, brussels sprouts, and cotechino. Best. Chicken. Ever. Undoubtably it was the juiciest and tastiest white meat I’ve ever had and may ever have. And there’s plenty enough for two that I didn’t have to create a diversion to get another serving. The sides held their own but were still backup vocals to the roast chicken diva. The dark meat came in a separate serving– overload, the good kind. Made me shmoney dance. I ended it with the Milk & Honey dessert; a mix of ice cream, dehydrated ice cream, shortbread and brittle. A tasty treat to cap off such a grand experience. Just remember to get at that reservation early because it’s not easy to find a table but it’s well worth the work.

Ambiance: A

Food: A+

Overall: A+

Price: $150/person (inclusive of tax/tip)

Recommended Meal: Foie Gras app, Roast Chicken for two, Milk & Honey (enough for two people)

Reservations: Highly Recommended

Hours: M-Th 5.30pm-10.30pm; Fri-Sat 5.30pm-11pm; Sun 5.30pm-10pm

Photo via The NoMad

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