Cafe Carmellini

Andrew Carmellini's return to the world of fine dining is definitely a glorious one. Leaning on a pedigree that includes time spent in the kitchens of Paris and New York’s fine-dining circuit (including Le Cirque and Café Boulud), tied together with a family history in Tuscany, Café Carmellini stands as an embodiment of the chef's story, distilled into a fine-dining package straight out of the Gilded Age.

The vibe: Glamorous is certainly one word to describe the interior of Café Carmellini. Located inside NoMad's Fifth Avenue Hotel, the dual-level restaurant leans grand, with white tablecloths, stunning three-ringed chandeliers and towering trees at its center. You can take in golden views from the balcony above, but we don't mind the ground level, which peers into the inner workings of the blue-tiled open kitchen.

The food: An amalgamation of chef Carmellini's experiences, the menu is described as a "marriage of Italian and French cooking with a classic New York sensibility." In a sense, it is a bit hard to put your finger on what Café Carmellini is. But in practice, you'll find dishes of the French persuasion, like oysters à la pomme with horseradish and frozen, spherical balls of green apple sorbet that explode in the mouth, and a delicate two-tiered mille-feuille layered with chunks of sweet crab and a pool of yuzu. More classic Italian dishes show up by way of the risotto del giorno, which looked a bit like a Pollock painting, and the beef brasato ‘classico,’ featuring hunks of medium-rare beef dusted with porcini alongside a sticky short rib braised in a deep red wine reduction. Even the bread service is something to appreciate, particularly the thin tendrils of breadsticks that mimic flower stems (all the more so as they shoot out of a vase) but taste of salt and Parmesan. 

The drink: The stunning peacock-mirrored murals at the bar may just inspire a pinkies-out situation. As will the drinks on order, cycling through white pear Negroni and fragrant chartreuse gimlets punched with yuzu. The spirit-free menu is just as exciting, including the Eight-Ball Scratch that balances coffee and nutty amaro undertones, made with the zero-proof brand Adriatico Amaretto.

Time Out tip: The sticky toffee pudding drenched in bourbon and set on fire at the table? Yes, you need to order it.