Location: 19 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036
Cuisine: Greek/Mediterranean
Best Dish: Branzino layered with olive pastry tarte, yellow zucchini topped with tomato concasse, and accompanied with watercress pesto. A visually stunning and delectable entrée that surprises the palette with texture and exciting flavors.
Price: $$$
Overall: Located in the heart of midtown and the Theater District. Kellari is the ideal place for a business lunch, pre-theater dinner or brunch. Kellari specializes in sustainable seafood and authentic Greek Cuisine. The restaurant features an open kitchen where diners can look on as the kitchen staff prepares the delicious Greek cuisine.
Kellari is introducing a new Autumn Prix Fixe Dinner menu. We were invited to try the new offerings by Executive Chef Themis Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos joined the Kellari Group earlier this year and has over 20 years of experience working in fine-dining restaurants and 5-Star Hotels in France and Greece.
The tasting began with pickled beetroot salmon with mango and fresh turmeric root coulis followed by a Cannelloni bean soup with mastiha extract. A stand-out avocado cannelloni with smoked almonds, crab meat, red peppers, and squid ink tuile followed. Seafood dolmades with pan seared langoustines and fresh herbs were served over a lobster bisque and then came a picture-perfect Branzino Tart with tomato concasse, yellow zucchini, and a watercress pesto. The perfect ending came in the form of poached figs in Mavrodafni sweet wine with salep cream and walnuts.
Let’s break down each dish:
Amuse Bouche
- Pickled beetroot salmon “gravlax” and mango with fresh turmeric root coulis
This perfect bite was a fresh palette cleansing start to the dinner with a burst of citrus flavor.
Soup
- Cannellini bean soup with mastiha extract
Even if you are not a fan of bean soups you will be bowled over by this one. The cannellini beans are pureed to a velvety smoothness. The native to Greece mastiha extract adds a mellowing effect that deepens the flavor profile.
Cold Appetizer
- Avocado cannelloni stuffed with smoked almonds, crab meat with red pepper condiment garnished with squid ink tulle.
The creamy avocado incases the fresh crab meat. Smoked almond, adds a tasty crunch and the red pepper condiment is just the right amount of spice.
Hot Appetizer
- Seafood dolmades and pan seared langoustines with fresh herbs and a lobster bisque sauce
Dolmades are a classic Greek recipe of stuffed grape leaves. This version was the most delicious we have ever tasted. The rice cooked in seafood stock took the dish to a new level. The accompanying langoustine was cooked perfectly. The delicate lobster bisque sauce packed a full-bodied flavor punch with a deep cherry color.
Main Course
- Branzino layered with olive pastry tarte and yellow zucchini topped with tomato concasse, accompanied with watercress pesto
One word makes the dish the winner of the night ‘Layers’! Each layer brought a fresh delight. The crispy skin and meatiness of the Branzino, the crunchy sweetness of the olive pastry, the bright freshness of the yellow zucchini, the salty citrus of the tomato concasse and the herbaceousness of the watercress pesto. All of the components created the perfect symphony of a dish that tasted slightly different depending on the layers on your fork. Every bite is an adventure.
Dessert
- Poached fig in Mavrodafni sweet wine, salep cream, and walnuts
This is a very sweet dish and is paired with a nice serving of Boutari Grande Reserve Xinomavro 2010.
Wines & Spirits
Our meal was accompanied by a wine pairing.
Specific wines were chosen from the extensive Kellari Wine Cellars featuring over 350 wines by the bottle and dozens by the glass. Each selection complemented the flavors of each course. Table favorites included the refreshing Ktima Pavlidis White Thema Assyrtiko 2017, a Greek Sauvignon Blanc that accompanied the Amuse Bouche and the spicy Alpha Estate Pinot Noir 2014 that paired with the Hot Appetizer course.
The 5-Couse Prix Frix Menu will be available this Fall for $180 (not including the wine pairings). Kellari also offers its perennially popular 3-course business lunch pre-fixe, a true bargain at $29.95. The Pre & Post Theater Prix Fixe menu is also a hit, 2-Courses for $36.95 or 3-Courses $42.95.
Dining Hours
Monday 11:30 am – 11:00 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am – 11:30 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 11:30 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 11:30 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 12:00 am
Saturday 11:30 am – 12:00 am
Sunday 11:30 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday Brunch: 11:30am-3:30pm
For more information and complete menus, check out their website www.kellariny.com.
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