ATOMIX

Atomix delivered. I’ve been trying to come here for years now, but reservations are incredibly hard to get. This is easily a top three dining experience of all time for me.

There are two options: the chef’s counter and the bar tasting. I went with the chef’s counter. I don’t drink, so I’m not totally sure how the experiences differ.

The restaurant is a bit hard to find and looks pretty unassuming from the outside. The first floor is where the bar tasting happens, and then a flight of stairs takes you down to the basement where the main tasting counter is located. The space is beautiful. There’s a giant silver-gray bow installation on the wall that spans both floors.

When we walked downstairs, someone greeted us with sikhye and showed us some of the ingredients that would appear in the meal, including truffles and caviar. It was such a cool introduction and showed the level of attention to detail here. Before the meal started, we were also given hand towels with “Atomix” printed on them, which was a cute touch. Because we had to reschedule our reservation due to the NYC snowstorm stay-inside mandate, they also gave us complimentary champagne.

Atomix Tasting Menu:

Pumpkin & Cinnamon sikhye
Scallop*, Gim bugak, Mustard kimchi
Littleneck clam*, Dashima, Chrysanthemum

Half beak fish*, Granny Smith apple, Sea grape

Monkfish liver, Squid, Tangerine

Kohlrabi, King crab, Kristal caviar*

Abalone, Pomegranate, Red cabbage
Celtuce jangajji, Pearl onion, Cashew nut

Golden eye snapper, Potato, Sea urchin*
Red endive & Cilantro salad

Lobster, White asparagus, Cheongju
Lobster jeotgal rice

Lamb*, Goji berry, Broccoli rabe
Gochujang lamb noodle

Passion fruit, White lotus tea, Tapioca

Burdock, Dark chocolate, Black truffle

* indicates items that may be served raw.

The sikhye was a warm and comforting start to the meal. The scallop and littleneck clam were delicious but extremely small bites. Honestly, I wanted more. The scallop might have been one of the best I’ve ever had, and the clam was easily one of the best bites of my life.

The half beak fish was fantastic. It was incredibly light and the sauce around it complemented the fish beautifully. I usually don’t care for liver, but the monkfish liver dish was so balanced and full of umami that I really enjoyed it.

I had never had kohlrabi before, but the kohlrabi noodle dish was amazing. It was light and refreshing, and the generous amount of caviar on top added richness and contrast. I usually avoid abalone, but I figured I should try it since I was at Atomix. It was a bit tough, though I’m not sure what the typical texture is supposed to be. The sauce reminded me a little of General Tso’s chicken, which I actually loved. The accompanying side dish was refreshing and well balanced.

I remember the snapper being incredibly delicious, and the side salad was fresh and vibrant. It was one of my favorite fish bites of the night. The lobster was cooked perfectly and incredibly tender, as you’d expect.

The lamb course was the only miss for me, but that’s entirely because I personally don’t like lamb. I’m sure it would be great for someone who enjoys it.

The desserts were outstanding. The passion fruit dessert, which reminded me of a bingsoo, was icy, crunchy, refreshing, and tangy. The chocolate dessert was also excellent, even though I normally don’t gravitate toward chocolate. The truffle added a really unique finishing touch. We also received a white chocolate mini dessert to celebrate our anniversary, which was amazing.

Yes, the meal costs an arm and a leg, but it was absolutely worth it. At the end, they give you a sleeve to hold all the postcards from the meal so you can remember the experience. Even the bathroom had Le Labo Santal 26 candles burning, which is one of my favorite scents. The staff were incredible and tried to remember little personal details about guests while chatting with us throughout the meal.

The service was top notch and the execution of every dish felt meticulous. This was truly one of my favorite meals of all time.

This is a rather late review, as I visited back in September, but the experience stayed with me.

ATOMIX is famously hard to book. Getting a reservation felt like buying TS concert tickets, and we set alarms well in advance with high expectations for the meal.

Unfortunately, while the atmosphere was fine, the food was underwhelming. I would give the food around a 6/10. The wine pairing was worse, closer to a 3/10. I couldn’t finish most of it, and during the second half of the meal, I stopped drinking the pairings after a single sip because they were unpleasant.

We chose the bar seating when booking. Compared to other Michelin chef’s counters or bar seatings I’ve experienced, this one felt much smaller and more minimal. I understand that some people may enjoy this setup for the closer interaction, but personally it wasn’t my preference.

What surprised me most was the reaction when I shared this opinion. A friend who loves ATOMIX completely dismissed my comments and said she wouldn’t listen to anything negative about the restaurant. It made me question the level of hype surrounding it.

I don’t understand the extreme praise. Given the effort required to secure a reservation, the experience did not live up to expectations.

Wow. One of the top meals anywhere in the world. The food is delicious & soulful. It’s inventive yet honest. If you’re looking for technique or creativity or a general sense of pleasure + abundance, this kitchen has you covered.
What took this great experience to the next level was the incredible service team led by Arni & Jordan. So gracious and accommodating (to my allergy). I opted for the reserve wine pairing which was incredible value (Egon Muller, DP2, Comte Lafon, Chateau d’Yquem etc etc) and Jordan knew two wine nerds when he saw one and went above and beyond on every detail.
I am so impressed that they knew we were all walking in with high expectations and they exceeded every single one. Bravo! Can’t wait to come back.