Simon Kim is known for opening loud and unapologetic restaurants. It started with the launch in 2017 of Cotea Michelin-starred steakhouse that combines Korean grilling with exquisite attention to detail, and in the nine years since, he’s solidified his expertise by adding six locations to Gracious Hospitality Management, spanning from New York City to Las Vegas, Miami and Singapore.
like Chimera grass opened on April 18, Kim revealed that he and his team also know what it takes to open a high-end bar. Inside a high-rise at 550 Madison Avenue, the group’s first stand-alone bar includes three concepts that highlight wine, whiskey and martinis. The trio of distinct bars in different corners of the room create a drinking experience that channels the same fun and thoughtful touches that first made New Yorkers fall for it. Cote AND Cocodaq.
While guests can order from all menus regardless of where they sit, the room is partitioned so that each space channels the vibe of its respective drink. A sleek bar with chrome accents and a mirrored bar is the place to focus on martinis, large bar stools offer a place to sit with a glass of wine, and a cozier area across the room houses the whiskey library. In the center of the room, a mature pine tree stretches to the top of the multi-story vaulted ceilings, further emphasizing the bar’s impressive stature.
The bar joins two other restaurants from the team within the same building. A second Cote location can be found down a dark staircase near the wine bar, and an omakase counter run by acclaimed chef Masahiro Yoshitake will open in the fall on a higher level.
Throughout my visit, it was clear that every detail of the bar was carefully considered, including, for example, watching the team seamlessly set up a bag stool next to each table as guests sat down and provided a complimentary round of coconut water, ginger and hibiscus drinks so that everyone had something refreshing to munch on while perusing the menu.
The martini menu is perhaps the best example of the team’s obsessive dedication. A quarter of each martini is water from melted ice, a fact that is printed at the top of the menu’s martini section. With that in mind, the team tested 50 different types of filtered and bottled water at varying pH and minerality levels before settling on the water of choice. Filtered tap water is remineralized and frozen into the ice that contributes to each martini. While it’s hard to say whether this component is what moves the needle, martinis are high-end versions of the classic. Variations like Vesper and Alaska make up one side of the menu, but guests can also create their own custom version by choosing from select vodka and gin options and pairing it with their choice of four different types of olive, a pickled onion or a lemon peel.
Behind the whiskey bar, guests have access to more than 200 bottles, including extremely rare finds such as Johnnie Walker white label, which dates back to before the First World War. Classic cocktails, with spirits like Manhattans or the deluxe Big Pappy, a Pappy Van Winkle 12-year sugar Old Fashioned, and Angos up to $2. most of the menu. However, they do not leave out those who are looking for something lighter. If that’s your vibe, try the Super Creamsicle, which combines Hibiki Harmony with cream soda and orange citrate.
Gracious Hospitality is known for its extensive summer programs, and Chimera grass‘s, led by the beverage executive director Victoria James and wine director Andrea Morriscontinues in this direction. More than 50 wines by the glass highlight stellar regions, from Champagne to Burgundy and Bordeaux. While there are many ways to get into the list of more than 1,200 bottles, by-the-glass options range from an $18 glass of California Sauvignon Blanc to a $370 pour from Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, with something at every price point in between. The team even paid attention to the oft-overlooked fortified wine, digging to curate a collection of vintage Madeiras dating back to 1835.
Putting drinks at the top doesn’t mean the group turned a blind eye to the food side of the menu. Extravagant raw bar choices are available, such as the generous Chimera Plateau and full caviar service, but the surprising star of the small bites is the salted bread service. Inspired by a delicious, viral flavor in Japan and South Korea, the bar’s signature bread is wrapped around a pat of butter and baked so that the interior of this brioche-like roll is lightly browned at the base, making it extra rich and pillowy.
The Chimera Dinner ($95) menu takes away the need for decision-making with a prix fixe menu that begins by setting the table with equally leveled entrees like gildas, Wagyu bresaola wrapped around sugar melon and crispy octopus with ganjung aioli. The plate spread delivers exactly what we all want when dining at a restaurant: thoughtful hospitality and a bit of excess.
The menu also includes a choice of entrees from options such as Imperial Wagyu steak fries with French fries, chicken with salsa verde, or a signature burger with a USDA Prime patty. Like all meals at the restaurant group, the meal ends with individual servings of soft serve reminiscent of an orange custard.
From my corner seat I could see every corner of the room running like a well-oiled machine. It was easy to forget that Bar Chimera had only been open for four days, but that’s what happens when you have leadership with more than a century of collective experience at the helm.
In an area with few bars that would be considered destination-worthy, Bar Chimera is poised to become a neighborhood staple and might just lure me to Midtown with its thoughtful drink menus and top-notch hospitality.
