The Place: Flora Bar, the newest and much-buzzed-about opening from the Estela and Café
Altro Paradiso guys, now open inside of the Met Breuer.
Chef Ignacio Mattos and his partner Thomas Carter are, of course, responsible here—a team that’s got a lot of praise, a couple of James Beard nominations and an Obama visit under their belts. Naturally, their first uptown opening has garnered a lot of attention. So you know we had to go check it out for ourselves. And for you.
Here’s what we found.
The Hype: It’s got a strong downtown vibe.
The Reality: Yes and no. We see that in the unique interpretations of some dishes (think: Caesar salad with dressing made from fermented rye berries in place of anchovies). But the marble bar, minimal design and crowd feel right at home on the UES.
The Hype: Like with the food, they get adventurous with the cocktails.
The Reality: True. Try the Son of Neptune, which has scotch, lemon, pineapple and lavender honey.
The Hype: Seafood is strongly prioritized.
The Reality: Confirmed. From raw scallop with plum and nori to sea urchin and fluke to lobster ravioli in broth, the menu’s mostly seafood-oriented. (Though lamb ribs made their way on here, too.) See for yourself.
The Hype: You can’t leave without trying the lobster crudo.
The Reality: It’s true. You’ve got to go with the raw lobster whenever you can—this one’s topped with shiso and mayo, and it’s damn good.
The Hype: It’s essentially the uptown Estela.
The Reality: It’s got the potential. Time will tell.
The Hype: This slideshow offers a fantastic visual journey through the place.
The Reality: We may or may not have made this last one up, for our own sake.
Chef Ignacio Mattos and his partner Thomas Carter are, of course, responsible here—a team that’s got a lot of praise, a couple of James Beard nominations and an Obama visit under their belts. Naturally, their first uptown opening has garnered a lot of attention. So you know we had to go check it out for ourselves. And for you.
Here’s what we found.
The Hype: It’s got a strong downtown vibe.
The Reality: Yes and no. We see that in the unique interpretations of some dishes (think: Caesar salad with dressing made from fermented rye berries in place of anchovies). But the marble bar, minimal design and crowd feel right at home on the UES.
The Hype: Like with the food, they get adventurous with the cocktails.
The Reality: True. Try the Son of Neptune, which has scotch, lemon, pineapple and lavender honey.
The Hype: Seafood is strongly prioritized.
The Reality: Confirmed. From raw scallop with plum and nori to sea urchin and fluke to lobster ravioli in broth, the menu’s mostly seafood-oriented. (Though lamb ribs made their way on here, too.) See for yourself.
The Hype: You can’t leave without trying the lobster crudo.
The Reality: It’s true. You’ve got to go with the raw lobster whenever you can—this one’s topped with shiso and mayo, and it’s damn good.
The Hype: It’s essentially the uptown Estela.
The Reality: It’s got the potential. Time will tell.
The Hype: This slideshow offers a fantastic visual journey through the place.
The Reality: We may or may not have made this last one up, for our own sake.
