A full decade since working together at the iconic Nomad restaurant, chef India Doris and Alex Pfaffenbach have reunited to open Haymarket in NYC just a block west of the iconic, now-shuttered restaurant where they first met.
At the highly anticipated new restaurant—it’s been on Eater and The Infatuation’s watch lists—Doris draws inspiration from her experiences working in kitchens around the world in Spain, France, and Scotland, as well as growing up in a Caribbean household in the United Kingdom. That cultural context is married with what she calls food that is “super tight, with lots of attention to detail…but still playful.” It’s a balance she finessed while opening the MICHELIN-Starred fine dining SAGA alongside the late chef James Kent.
As managing partner, Pfaffenbach brings operational expertise from opening some of New York City’s buzziest restaurants via the Quality Branded restaurant group, such as Zou Zou’s and Bad Roman.
“When I started traveling and eating [elsewhere], I realized that I want flavors to be spicier and bolder. This food is my take on my culinary journeys,” Doris says of Haymarket’s European-meets-Caribbean menu, which stars elegant riffs on childhood favorites like peri peri chicken.
“This food is my take on my culinary journeys,” she continues.
Read on for how to have the best time at Haymarket in NYC, and book your seat on OpenTable.
What to eat
The compact, modern European menu includes snacks and starters, pastas/grains, and mains. Start off with an order of salt cod fritters, an acidic and spicy take on a dish Doris’s “gran” regularly made for her family. Then move on to Caribbean-inspired favorites like braised oxtail with crispy cheddar polenta and butter beans with soppressata and tomatillo salsa verde. “It’s got a crispy polenta on top, and that gets hit with feta before we frisk it under the salamander. So it’s like an oxtail gratin,” she says.
But whatever you do, don’t miss the signature peri peri chicken—“I felt like I needed to have one on the menu,” Doris says—served with a smoky, ranch-dressed snow pea salad.
For dessert, try a nostalgic take on the classic Swiss roll featuring strawberry cheesecake and frozen chocolate.
What to drink
Beverage director Chris Figueroa led the award-winning bar program at Overstory, and that pedigree shines in Haymarket’s creative cocktails. Expect refreshing spritzes that highlight seasonal produce as well as creative gin and whiskey highballs, with an emphasis on combinations that toe the line between sweet and savory flavors—like the spicy house martini riff, with Sichuan peppercorn, lychee, and lemongrass.
The wine list is short and sweet, with an emphasis on the classics from Italy, France, and Spain.
Where to sit
The forest-green dining room features a striking mural of the bucolic English countryside commissioned by Nashville-based artist Charlotte Terrell. Grab a spot at the 15-seat, marble-top bar lined with mirrors, or settle into one of the burnt orange banquettes framed in warm lighting from Murano glass chandeliers hanging above.
When to go
Haymarket is open for dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. every day. Reservations are available 21 days in advance.
Oset Babür Winter is a writer and editor based in New York City. She was previously the senior drinks editor at Food & Wine, and also contributes to publications like Bon Appétit, Wine Enthusiast and New York magazine. She holds a level three advanced wine award from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET).
