Ernesto’s opens in the Lower East Side with Chef Ryan Bartlow
Ernesto’s, the Basque-inspired restaurant from Chef Ryan Bartlow, is now open in the Lower East Side at 259 East Broadway at Montgomery Street. The much-anticipated solo project from Bartlow is inspired by his time spent in the Basque region of Spain and his love of the culture.
For the first time, Bartlow introduces his own menu, which is a culmination of his years spent cooking at acclaimed restaurant kitchens and his strong interest in Spanish cuisine that was cultivated early in his career.
The menu starts with a selection of small bites, including house-made txistorra (a Basque-style fast-cure sausage) and tortilla de patata with Jasper Hill Farm’s Moses Sleeper Cheese and truffle. Slightly larger tapas-style plates include piquillos rellenos (red and green peppers from Navarra with braised lamb neck), morcilla en croute with crema de kobocha, cabbage and guindilla, porrusalda (stewed leek and turnip with Espelette oil) and Corazon de alcachofa, among others. Main entrees include bacalao doble with Pil Pil sauce and Vizcaina sauce as well as carrillera de nuey and arroz con conejo. The menu is rounded out with a selection of local and Spanish cheeses and desserts such as torrijas with cinnamon ice cream, gâteaux Basque au chocolat, and arroz con leche with roasted apple and vanilla rum ice cream, among others.
Overseeing the wine program is Pierre Derrien, who started his career cooking in Paris restaurants Le Verre Volé and Au Passage, before moving to the beverage side where he partnered with James Henry to open Bones. Known for his expertise in natural wines, Derrien was a sommelier at cult-favorite Paris restaurants, Le Baratin by chef Raquel Carena and at the acclaimed Clown Bar with chef Sota Atsumi, where his wine list has received international attention. Ernesto’s is Derrien’s first U.S. restaurant project, and he plans to introduce wines not commonly offered at restaurants in the country. The menu focuses exclusively on French and Spanish wines from regions that are not typically showcased, including Murcia, Andalusia and Galicia, among others.
The cocktail program is led by Sarah Morrissey, who was most recently bar manager at Frenchette. Her menu at Ernesto’s focuses on aperitif cocktails with Spanish influences. Cocktails range from the Vermut and Tonic (vermouth and fever tree served with juniper berries); Txakoli Spritz to Hell In A Hand Basque-et (vermouth with pineapple, ginger syrup, lime and hot sauce) and the tiki-inspired Maria Cristina (Cappelletti, cream sherry, orange juice, orgeat, coconut milk and tiki bitters).
Ernesto’s was designed by Michael Groth, in close collaboration with Bartlow and his partners Davitta and Alexandra Niakani. The expansive and light-filled 40-seat dining room area is surrounded by exposed red brick walls with the back wall showcasing an original lithograph from painter Joan Miró. A 15-seat bar with an elegant green marble bar-top spans an entire side of the space and features an elaborate custom millwork back bar with brass accents created by Iron Oaks. Groth designed custom chandeliers and sconces for the space, collaborating with local fabricators Aurora Lampworks as well as Workaday Handmade to develop the handcrafted ceramic sconces. The light fixtures are laid out playfully along a meandering ceiling design reminiscent of the art nouveau curvature found in the architecture of San Sebastian. Antique decor adds to the unique character of the space with a rare Viennese Thonet bistro bench sourced at Pheremones 116 in Paris. Other antique pieces are sprinkled throughout the space, including a mid-century modern hostess stand and service station, as well as an iron candelabra and decorative plaster bowls, all of which date back to the 18th century.
Ernesto’s will debut a smaller café space that connects to the dining area. The bright space includes an open kitchen that will serve coffee and pastries in the mornings and small bites in the afternoons. During the evening hours, a vibrant wine bar will open in the space, giving guests the ability to watch the chef in action as they drink wine and nibble on pintxos.
Ernesto’s will later introduce a private dining area located below the restaurant, which retains the exposed brick wall from the upstairs area that will have a more cozy and intimate vibe for private events.
Ernesto’s is open from 5:30 p.m. through 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 5:30 pm through 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
