Wildair

New York, US

Originally, Wildair was the less formal sibling of Contra, located next door. Nowadays, things have changed, and Contra has become a cocktail bar while Wildair is the main event. Still relatively informal in atmosphere, it feels a little like being at a dinner party. Conversations echo off high-topped metallic tables and low ceilings. Glasses clink and towering magnums of wine tilt immediately towards the emptier ones. The list here skews natural, organic and biodynamic. Eclectic small plates dominate the menu. If this feels positively Parisian, it's by design. The young chef duo spent formative years in Europe before dropping anchor on the Lower East Side; experience you can taste in their crispy, uni-topped potato darphin (think: hash browns with a culinary degree). Other dishes of note include a signature beef tartare, a pithivier with broccoli rabe, cheese and chilli jam and a spectacular pissaladiéclair packed with anchovies, olives and Swiss mountain cheese. Desserts, too, are big hitters, always changing seasonally with anything from a mille feuille Suzette to a chocolate mousse with coffee jelly.

Key Information

• Average price per person $60
• Dinner: Mon – Sun
• +1 646-964-5624
• Visit Wildair's Website

Location

142 Orchard Street, Lower East Side, New York, NY 10002