Barmarché, NYC
Cuisine: American Nouveau, Latin American
Neighborhood: Nolita
Price: $60 pp
Phone: (212) 219-2399
Address: 14 Spring St #A, NYC 10012
Hours:
Dinner: Sun-Thurs 5:30-11:30pm, Fri & Sat 5:30-12:30am
Brunch: Sat & Sun 10:00am-4:00pm
Barmarché had been on my wish list for a while and so when my friend and I were wandering around Nolita searching for a dinner spot, Barmarché was the first place I wanted to check out. This quirky little bistro basks in a soft candlelit glow with white tree logs criss-crossing in front of the windows, ceiling chandeliers enclosed in plastic cubes, and quaint picture frames adorning the walls. The restaurant is something I would imagine I may stumble upon in some enchanted forest out of a modern fairy tale — it is whimsical without being overly cute (aka guys won’t feel too uncomfortable here). In fact, Barmarché is definitely high on my “date spot” list as well as a great place for a girls’ brunch or dinner. There is a tiny 3 or 4 seater booth in the back corner that I really want to request next time!
We ordered pretty much all seafood dishes (I think 75% of the menu is seafood anyway, just the way I like it!) and they were all spectacular. Everything was cooked and flavored to perfection, and our server gave us great recommendations of how to best balance the flavors of the dishes we were looking at. I loved the oysters, mussels, and the crispy bass taquitos (I even tried to replicate the dish at home!). I definitely thought the Latin American and American fusion dishes looked particularly appetizing and I am eager to try to the Chipotle Shrimp Taquitos and Braised Pork Taquitos next time. The service was very friendly and accommodating, although it was very slow. Even though the restaurant was not very full, it was hard to catch our servers’ attention for more water refills. However, the ambiance and the food is more than enough reason for a return visit, which I hope to do so soon!
Ginger Pear Martini served up
Grey Goose pear, ginger, pear liqueur & lemon *pretty sure that is what this drink was…
Veggies with Spicy Hummus
This was served as an amuse-bouche, and it was addictive!
Fishers Island Oysters, NY
“The freshest, cool high salinity waters of Block Island Sound result in a firm, sweet meat with excellent brine content” I concur it was excellent!
Prince Edward Island Mussels: garlic white wine broth & grilled crostini
Freshly cooked and served nice and hot! Excellent light flavors — who doesn’t love garlic and white wine?
Garlic Pommes Frites
Deliciously paired with the garlic white wine mussels
Crispy Bass Taquitos: soft-shelled flour tortillas with guacamole, pico de gallo & apple cider slaw
These taquitos were amazing; the bass had a great silky texture under the crispy batter which tasted amazing with a refreshing dollop of guacamole and pico de gallo. The apple cider slaw added a unique twist to the taquitos. After dreaming about this for weeks after, I finally made my own version at home: Baked Fish Tacos with Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, and Apple Cider Slaw.
Truffle Shrimp Risotto: cherry tomatoes, capers, truffle oil, balsamic reduction, asiago cheese & arugula
This was fairly rich but managed to not be overly heavy with the truffles and asiago cheese
Chamomile tea, Egypt (sweet, apple)
food comas 