When it comes to adventurous and out-of-the-box dining experiences, it’s pretty clear that that Manhattan no longer holds all the aces. A combination of real estate costs and space has pushed enterprising young chefs farther afield where there are still spacious venues to be had, and diners are less buttoned up and more open to freewheel down culinary paths less taken.
Case in point is this bright bolthole in Brooklyn’s Bushwick, the brainchild of a troupe of F&B veterans including Vanessa Palazio, the co-founder of the Lower East Side’s grilled cheese favourite, Little Muenster. Inspired by the street-side fritangas and cafetins that tinge the childhood memory of the Nicaraguan-born Palazio, C. Wall Architecture have converted an old warehouse garage into an airily playful South American background of blues and almost subliminal pyramidal tropes conceived in tropical hardwoods, cement tiles, and gold-hued chairs.
Against a giant mural of tropical jungle motifs by local artist W3RC, the kitchen sends out millennial takes on classic Nicaraguan snack foods. House-milled corn tortillas, for instance, come draped with quesillo cheese and plantain vinegar pickled onions, and topped with everything from beer-braised pork to sea bean slaw; whilst black clams are poached in coconut milk, alongside a pickled cabbage salad of green papaya, yucca and chicharron.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
198 Randolph Street
-
Step inside this resilient, river-facing cabin for a life with ‘less stuff’A tough little cabin designed by architects Wittman Estes, with a big view of the Pacific Northwest's Wenatchee River, is the perfect cosy retreat
-
The Maybach Ocean Club is a floating members’ club for the super-richMercedes-Benz Places, the carmaker’s property arm, has announced the upcoming Maybach Ocean Club, a ship-based enclave inspired by automotive luxury
-
Is the Calibri typeface 'woke'? We asked its designer'It's more a compliment than something bad for me,’ says the Dutch type designer Lucas de Groot
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026: City of the Year shortlistExplore the nominated urban locations making an impact in design, architecture and contemporary culture
-
A local’s guide to Miami by gallerist Nina JohnsonAs Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 kicks off, gallerist Nina Johnson shares her hometown essentials – from art museums to where to eat, drink and shop
-
The W New York, Union Square gets a grown-up revamp by Rockwell GroupThe noughties hotspot has reopened with a more mature – yet never muted –new look. Wallpaper* checks in
-
An around-the-world art tour with RosewoodFrom London to New York, Amsterdam and São Paulo, the hotel group showcases curated art that reflects the unique local context
-
Dior’s new Beverly Hills dining salon raises the bar for couture cuisineFrom Peter Marino’s onyx bar and faceted mirrored walls to Nicole Wittenberg’s vast, immersive botanical canvas, Dior’s first restaurant outside Paris is here
-
This new Los Angeles restaurant is a mischievous blend of dive bar and 'psychedelic honky tonk'At Marvito, small-batch tequila and a classic rock soundtrack create a delightfully nostalgic night out
-
Fantasy – and incredible seafood – await at Carbone Riviera, now open at the Bellagio in Las VegasInterior design powerhouse Martin Brudnizki drew on the Côte d'Azur and Picasso’s ceramics for Major Food Group’s latest Sin City outpost
-
At Café Zaffri in New York, history is served with a rebellious streakThe team behind Raf's unveils a new Union Square haunt that dishes up redefined Levantine cuisine in a reimagined Old New York dining room
