The buzziest restaurants in New York City are not always the best. Expectations inflated by press, hashtags, and exclusivity burst like birthday balloons in the power lines when that Next Best Thing turns out to be just fine. Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, which opened in November at Lincoln Center, is the rare New York City hotspot that actually exceeds its tremendous surrounding hype.
Tatiana follows Bronx-raised Onwuachi’s early career years in some of NYC’s most esteemed restaurants, his Top Chef season, a pair of D.C. operations, book publications and accolades like the James Beard Foundation’s rising star chef of the year award in 2019. His first local destination, with Afro-Caribbean-influenced menus in a soaring, uncommonly inviting space, is a triumph.
The sweeping venue is distinguished, chicly industrial and makes you feel like you’ve arrived, especially after what was probably a long and/or circuitous route to finally landing a table. Huge windows suffuse the polished dining room with natural light filtered by delicate metallic curtains. Large cumulus cloud fixtures hover toward the ceiling. The armchairs opposite a banquette with its back to Lincoln Center’s plaza are, uniquely, as comfortable as the cushy bench they face; nicely sized, substantially anchored and designed for ease. The custom pieces are a relief, and a demonstration of a detailed commitment to hospitality, particularly in light of the recent threatening trend of truly awkward seats, including the glorified tree stump-like tests of core strength at another hotspot elsewhere in town.
There is also a ton to love on Tatiana’s one-page menu, divided into small and large shares. The curried goat patties ($26) are an excellent introduction to some of the kitchen’s rich protein preparations, plated three to an order with golden, flaky exteriors and sides of mango chutney and creamy aioli. The crispy okra ($15), also grouped among the starters, is a dish of fun abundance, with fresh texture and a patina of honeyed sweetness that, while tasty, cloaks the item’s listed mustard and peppa sauce.
When reservations are this hard to come by, ordering can turn from simply taste-slaking to high-stakes strategy. I really don’t think you can go wrong here, and Tatiana adeptly factors seafood, poultry and vegetable options into its offerings to cover all manner of desires, but I will have a hard time skipping its exquisite red meat varieties on any lucky returns.
Braised oxtails ($52) from the menu’s larger shares practically melt off the bone under a somewhat tangy, nearly-sugared glaze. Each silken bite is almost impossibly decadent with depths of flavor that bring conversation to a halt.
Tatiana’s undeniable standout, however, (an exalted designation on an all-star lineup) is its short rib pastrami ($85), which has been presented a couple of different ways over the last eight months. Its wonderfully marbled, tender Wagyu is presently sliced and arranged to curve around a tight pile of crisp, slightly tart red cabbage alongside gleaming pillows of caraway coco bread. Both a perfect pastrami and sensational steak, like Tatiana’s welcoming warmth, there’s nothing else quite like it in New York City right now.
Vitals
The Vibe: Polished, comfortable fine dining that puts you at ease in an inviting space.
The Food: Destination-making short rib pastrami, braised oxtails, crispy okra and curried goat patties are highlights among outstanding Afro-Caribbean menu items.
The Drinks: Tatiana’s Miami Vice is one of NYC’s best frozen drinks, its classics are top-notch and its wine list is studiously curated.
Tatiana is located at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza. It is open for dinner Monday-Saturday from 5pm-10pm