Ask any New Yorker what their favourite restaurant is and we guarantee it’ll be a long answer. In a city with more than 25,000 establishments to dine at, most locals have at least three front-runners. New York’s extraordinary restaurant culture spans everything from fine dining to lively burger joints. You can eat out every night of every week and still barely scratch the surface. But it was all thanks to a food writer friend, that I not-so-coincidentally happened across Frevo when she sent me the address and informed me I “simply must” go on my next visit to the Big Apple.
To get into Frevo, you first need to know that Frevo exists. You see, there’s no sign above a fancy door. Rather, when you arrive at the correct address, what you’ll discover is an intimate art gallery. When I stepped inside, confused, I was reassured by the host that, indeed, I was at the correct place, as the door to the restaurant was revealed behind one of the colourful canvases.
Helmed by multi award-winning Chef, Franco Sampogna and Co-Founder, Bernardo Silva, Frevo opened to the public in 2019, in the heart of Greenwich Village.
The culinary ethos here is not pinned to a specific region or country, instead, a smorgasbord of flavours and techniques create an exquisite gastronomic experience that is truly unique to the sleek, speakeasy-style setting.
Offering a set menu that shifts with the seasons, the focus is on the freshest, locally sourced ingredients. During my visit, the mouthwatering tasting menu highlight was the Japanese mackerel artfully plated with trout roe and nori. And though it has been weeks since my visit, the 36-month aged Comté cheese lovingly drizzled in honey is still dancing through my mind.
Dining at Frevo is an experience I’ll never forget. In keeping with the restaurant’s ‘secret’ existence, I don’t want to give too much away. But one thing is for certain, I guarantee an impressive, transformative evening like no other, where artfully inspired dishes are the star of the show.
Images courtesy of Frevo
