Here to report on Atera (2 stars) in NYC. I would not at all be surprised to see this restaurant elevated to 3 stars in the next NYC Michelin Guide due out next month. The food (plus the service and experience as a whole) was SPECTACULAR, second in NYC only to Eleven Madison Park for me (though I have yet to hit Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, and there are a few 2 stars I need to do -- Momofuku Ko, Jungsik, Aska, and Aquavit; I will be at Blanca this week).

Atera is not cheap. In fact, it is the most expensive of all the 2 star restaurants in NYC, and at $275 service included, it is even more expensive than the classic tasting menus at Jean-Georges or the tasting menu at Le Bernardin.

What I love about Atera is its fun, modern yet elegant atmosphere plus its adaptability. In addition to an extensive wine list (that includes some great offerings by the glass) and nice-looking cocktails, they offer regular wine pairings ($175), reserve wine pairings ($365), tea pairings ($95), and non-alcoholic beverage pairings ($105). I relish the ability to try a variety of fine wines by the glass paired with fabulous food and service, so I opted for the reserve pairings.

No menu is presented; you are simply served a series of over a dozen courses. Some of the wines are for individual courses, and some stretch over several. Unlike other wine pairings where you are given very specific amounts of wine, at Atera the pours are paced to the drinker. My glasses were all refilled generously.

My favorite courses were a raw Scottish langoustine with walnut cream sauce, shaved apple, and shaved foie gras; perfectly poached halibut with kohlrabi, celeriac puree, and brown butter sauce; diver scallop with corn; and golden osetra caviar with beer cream and pistachio ice cream. But I enjoyed everything.

The reserve wine pairings began with Krug Grande Cuvee, which was generously refilled twice. I had been hoping for something more interesting or unique, but I do love Krug and of course it paired well. Other memorable wines included a 2014 Dominique Lafon Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru, 2000 Chateau Malescot St Exupery, and 1989 Chateau Suduiraut. Each of these was topped up.

I understand that Atera switched chefs a few years ago. If you have gone under the previous chef but not the current chef Ronny Emborg (who even served some of the dishes himself), I implore you to return.

I am curious how Atera will compare to Blanca, as both are counter-style 15-20 course restaurants. I'll of course report back, as it would be very difficult for Blanca to top Atera.

I haven't been to Atera in a few years, and now I definitely want to go back again! Personally I'd rate it above Blanca in both service and execution of the dishes. My #1 favorite still goes to Brooklyn Fare though.

I'm a huge fan of Atera and as mentioned earlier, would not be surprised to see them get a third star soon. One of my chef friends rumoured as much which is one reason I went there. And, like all good restaurants, they know how to deal with a one top.

Blanca is very good - I had my birthday dinner there last year. Having only been to Atera under the old chef, I would actually put Blanca above Atera based on that measurement (and did as much when writing my Yelp review of it). Atera has a bit more of a cosmopolitan, refined ambiance, but there's something to appreciate about Blanca's setup as well.

Will be eager to hear back! And as you mentioned...you do need to hit up Chef's Table :)

Of note...it's unusual?

Acclaimed French chef asks to be stripped of three Michelin stars

Please see:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...uquet-laguiole

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

Not so unusual Chefs (better Restaurants) "give back" their stars. Considering the number of 3 star places it´s of course not this often.

Relatively unusual, seeing that chefs who want stars are overjoyed to have them, but once winning them does mean certain pressures do indeed develop, be it they set themselves under pressure or it's applied by the guests or inspectors.

Sometimes it's difficult to perform under the permanent spotlight IMHO.

Cheers & Safe Travels. ^

I was at a restaurant in Montpellier about 10 years ago (Les Jardin des Sens) that had intentionally downgraded from 3 to 2 stars. They said that the food was the same but the level of service necessary for 3 stars in terms of number of people required, made them unprofitable. So dropping the 3rd star allowed them to make money. The food was spectacular.

I ate at a restaurant in Kyoto 3 years ago (Misogigawa) that refused to have Michelin rate them. I would venture to guess that they would get 2 stars if they wanted the rating.

I loved Blanca as well! It was some of the most fun I've had at a restaurant--the vibe is fun and quirky and the staff is great. I'd say Atera did feel more sophisticated and complex but the food at Blanca was mouth-watering as well. I'd happily return to either. The wine pairings at Blanca are a steal, for only 95 bucks, with attentive top-ups!

Went to Aska (2 stars) this weekend, and really enjoyed it. The food is creative Scandinavian, and vastly different from what the other 2/3-star places offer. Definitely worth a try. The restaurant is beautiful. Most of the tables look into the open kitchen. Service was slightly rusty, but mostly fine. The somm was extremely enthusiastic about a few bottles of wine on their list even when I initially went with something else. Had to wait a bit for the wine glasses to be refilled on a few occasions but no big slip up. Overall I recommend it.

Just got back from a quick trip to Tokyo and amongst a variety of very good meals, with both low and high prices, a couple stood out.

The first was the Two Star rated Kadowaki, a tiny 'traditional' kaiseki restaurant. We were seated at the pass for a multicourse dinner presented by the chef. The meal was consistently excellent end to end, each dish complementing the rest and prepared right in front of us. This place clearly has a following, with a few folks also sitting at the pass having been there a few times over the Summer as well. There's a few interesting twists on the menu including the incorporation of burdock and truffles in interesting and tasty ways.

The other restaurant could not be more different - One Star rated Le Sputnik. A 13 or so course degustation paired with at least 8 wines. French influenced but with very Japanese ingredients including venison from Hokkaido. All of the courses were excellent, but the stand out was a very special foie gras dish that only one of us got (they only do 6 of these a night due to the intricate nature of the dish). Visually stunning and very tasty. (I don't photograph my food, but here's a picture from Chowhound. While this meal was truly exceptional, I suspect this chef has even more to show us over the next few years. But get here before everyone else finds out and turns this into a really tough reservation to get.

A big, big thanks to estnet for suggesting Le Sputnik - with all of the options in Tokyo I'm not sure it would have popped up on my radar but am really glad for the recommendation.

I don't understand this logic. Michelin stars are awarded solely based on what's on the plate; service is not factored into how many stars a restaurant receives.

Glad to hear you liked Aska! It's high on my list of NYC restaurants to try next. Did you go for the 10 course menu or 19 course menu?

I don't think it is at all accurate that service isn't taken into account, especially at the 3 star level.

I think it varies as to how much it matters. You are basically pushed out the door at Jiro, yet he gets 3 stars. Daniel in NYC, IMO, lost its third star largely because the service felt quite generic and not all that special.