When it comes to José Andrés and his food endeavors, he truly takes no breaks–Nubeluz, a swanky cocktail bar in the sky, opened last September, he’s opening a 10,000-square-foot dining lounge at LaGuardia Airport that will serve Spanish-style tapas, Hudson Yards’ Spanish food hall Mercado Little Spain is spearheaded by Andrés…need we go on?
And as of today, New Yorkers have a new creation by the culinary mastermind to pay a visit to–his New York Bazaar.
Aptly dubbed the Bazaar by José Andrés, this modern Spanish restaurant is his most anticipated one yet. Eater first reported on the restaurant’s NYC debut back in April of 2012, though at that point they were just rumors.
“When I do it in New York, I want it to be a big deal. I want to make sure I’m ready when I make it there,” Andrés had reportedly remarked back in 2012, according to Eater.
The rumors once again resurfaced in 2015, when Eater reported that hotel chain SLS confirmed that Andrés’ Bazaar would open an in a new hotel at 30th and Park Avenue South the following summer. But alas, once again, nothing ever came of it.
But now, just about eleven years later, we finally have an opening!
“The Bazaar New York takes the vision we have created with our other Bazaar locations, but the story it tells is one you have never heard before…one that goes back 400 years…and that you can now experience in the heart of NYC at [The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad]” reads an Instagram post from Andrés.
The Bazaar is a place where you will see my Spanish roots, but it is also a tribute to Japanese techniques and flavors. From honey-miso eggplant to teba gyoza, a chicken wing stuffed with a mixture of ground Ibérico pork and onion, and of course new mesmerizing cocktails like milk punch and sangría de sake, I hope you will love it!
After the first Bazaar opened in the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills back in 2008, it quickly made a name for itself as being quite unique, with whimsical dishes including cotton candy and cones packed with savory ingredients coloring the menu.
And with Andrés refusing to let the usual luxurious aesthetic of New York to stop him, New Yorkers now have the chance to experience some of that whimsy!
“I don’t open restaurants. I tell stories, and no two are alike,” Andrés stated, according to GrubStreet.
The Bazaar’s menu is a carefully curated selection of shared plates which combine Japanese and Spanish cuisine, perfectly helmed by Andrés’ two longtime colleagues–Manuel Echeverri, the culinary director of all the Bazaar restaurants, and Koji Terano, the restaurant group’s head chef of R&D.
Through dishes like socarrat, made with bomba rice miso socarrat, shima aji, and wasabi, a Japanese sea-urchin cone, beef tartare, and madai crudo–all of which Andrés is most looking forward to, according to GrubStreet–guests are taken on a sensory adventure and are consistently wowed by innovative cuisine, presentations that dabble in theatrics, and attentive yet unfussy service.
Even the atmosphere itself is bold and playful, drawing from Andrés’ Spanish roots.
The Bazaar by José Andrés opens today, Tuesday, August 8th. Reservations can be made here.
📍 The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad – 35 W 28th St.
🍽️ The Bazaar – Tuesday-Thursday 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 5 p.m. – 11 p.m.
🍸 The Bazaar Bar – Sunday-Wednesday 4 p.m. – 12 a.m., Thursday-Saturday 4 p.m. – 1 a.m.