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Earlier this month, I finally made my way to Chelsea’s latest and greatest, Haymarket, a new restaurant from a former Saga alum. But as I went to research the space further a week later—poof! It seemingly vanished. But my worries of a sudden closure were quickly assuaged as the restaurant underwent a rebrand to distance itself from similarly named businesses in the neighborhood. Now, Chelsea can firmly welcome Markette (326 7th Ave) to its ranks.
Behind Markette lies a talented team, starting with executive chef India Doris. Born in London, the chef started cooking in kitchens at the ripe age of 15, working at restaurants across London, Normandy and Spain. In 2016, the chef moved to the States to work at The NoMad during the time that James Kent was cheffing, who earned the restaurant its first Michelin Star. When he moved to open Crown Shy, Doris went with him, eventually moving up the ranks to executive sous chef at sister (and two Michelin-starred) restaurant, Saga.
It seems much of Doris's pathway was forged all those years ago, as she also worked alongside her future business partner, Alex Pfaffenbach, while at The NoMad. Previously overseeing the global food and beverage program at The NoMad Hotels, Plaffenbach went on to Quality Branded and oversaw the openings of Zou Zou’s and Columbus Circle’s fever dream of an Italian restaurant, Bad Roman. When the landlord directly reached out to Plaffenbach about opening a high-end sports bar in the Chelsea space, Doris initially turned him down. But when a tacked-on basement became part of the deal, the two decided to go into business together, eventually opening Markette in June of 2025.
Chef Doris keeps good on her word to “throw dinner parties every night” at Markette, albeit more like a fancy gathering than an all-out affair. And that’s all due to the landscape. The single room that is the dining hall breathes like a dreamscape as murals found about the space mimic the English countryside, inspired by Doris’s heritage. The calm nature is complemented with burnt orange banquettes, golden scones and chandeliers and a huge, illuminated mirror that frames the concrete bar.
Speaking of the bar, it is more than easy to park it here as beverage manager Christopher Figueroa (previously of Overstory) has drummed up quite the menu. Easy, effervescent sips feature on the "Tall + Crisp" category, while martinis made with vodka, pisco and nori fall under "Spirited + Bold." The pink-hued Hay Barbie was a favorite from the "Shaken + Fresh" portion of the menu, and I'm not just saying that because it comes with a little Barbie charm on the glass. Three liquors feature in the drink—mezcal, aquavit and cachaca—but it all drinks smooth and frothy with the addition of egg white.
But if you can go to eat, you'll find a tight menu that channels Doris's travels around the globe, with stops off in France and Spain and plenty of Caribbean influences that nod to her Jamaican ancestry. Some of the best representations of said heritage have to be the salt cod fritters. Marinating the fish in salt for three days, the fish is lightly fried, making for a soft bite that easily breaks with a fork. The habanero aioli served with it can read like danger with its bright orange color and red flakes on top, but chef Doris taps into the sweetness of the fruit rather than the heat, giving the dish a bright and lively kick. The braised oxtail is similarly a knock-out. Brining and braising the meat for twenty-four hours before marrying it with polenta, this rich dish becomes even richer as the deep caramel-colored braising liquid is lashed on top and finished with fire.
But her other seasonal dishes also hold court. The crustacean's head and tail remain intact in grilled prawns, but the rest of the charred meat has generously been removed from the shell. The hand-sized prawn rests on an orange-y Sungold tomato sauce, hidden underneath a pepitas and chili crisp mix. As for the peri peri chicken, which the chef riffs on the Nando’s version, the butterflied and deboned bird is marinated in a bath of peri peri and bird’s eye chili before graciously being doused in buttermilk ranch. And if that isn’t enough chicken for your taste, an amuse bouche of a single fried piece of chicken over a snow pea salad also arrives at the table, served in a jade-colored chicken dish. And if you happen to save a little room, the mango pudding is the sweet treat you deserve, with layers of mango and coconut, showered with coconut flakes, lime zest and pie graham cracker crumbles.
In the future, Doris and Plaffenbach will debut a concept down below. But for now, Markette is here, ready to make a (new) name for itself.