TLDR: Bar Chimera is one of three concepts at 550 Madison. Think upscale brasserie with a touch of COTE. Definitely grab a salt bread and the burger with fries is great. Walking in for the bar wasn't too bad. I'm generally not in this neighborhood but i've been wanting to try the new concept from COTE aka Gracious Hospitality Management. Interesting layout but very beautiful space with these daunting 60-foot high ceilings. I sat at the bar and there is so much attention to detail like most of their restaurants. For me, the restaurant felt like an upscale brasserie with a touch of some Korean elements but restrained. Had to try a drink and grabbed a Bull and Bear which was refreshing, not too sweet and paired well with the food. The salt bread is excellent. On the smaller side but it's got that CRISPY shell that invokes a certain famous spot in Seoul. The whipped honey butter was especially good. I grabbed the hot oysters, one of each. The Rockefeller was fairly classic with cheese, a giant oyster and the spinach has been swapped with gamtae which is a seaweed native to South korea. I preferred the dynamite, equally a large oyster topped with an almost crab mixture with masago and spicy sauce. The burger was served halved and is a blend of American wagyu I was told. I believe it is a mixture of chuck, brisket and short rib. The recommended temperature was medium so not quite as chewy but a lot of rendered fat in the middle keeping it juicy yet not too messy. There is a peppercorn mustard which balances out the richness with the white onion and a restrained slice of cheese melted on top. Mustard aside, it did remind me a bit of the Red Hook Tavern burger. The beef tallow fries were nice and hot, airy, crispy and I appreciate I get something other than ketchup with them. Tried the croquembouche which was fantastic. The hardened caramel gave a bit of crunch with the jasmine cream oozing out. The bar menu is shorter than the full dinner one, I'll be back to try out the rest of the items though. read more

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I really wanted to like Bar Chimera and while the food/drinks were a 4 for me, the service was unfortunately a 2. I preferred the mushroom fries over the regular fries but they were pretty decent. The mushroom fries had a nice crunchy batter and could have been seasoned a little more. The white sauce nevertheless helped add some flavor. The foie gras balls featured very melty foie gras; the outer puff ball was fine. The famous Coqodaq Golden Nuggets were solid; however not as impressive as I had hoped. I loved the caviar to chicken nugget ratio and the umami on umami flavors. I can tell the chicken is more legit than other fast food chains but I just wished it was more crunchy. The burger was also solid. Patty was well-seasoned and tender. The mustard sauce and onions weren't too overpowering. I also enjoyed my Blush Crush which kinda tasted like an elevated orange cream soda. The soju, rose, and sparkling wine mixed well with the fruity flavors. For this price point and the hype surrounding COTE/Coqodaq, I thought service would be better. To start off, they sat us about 30 minutes after our reservation time on a regular weekday night. It was very clear that our server was much more attentive to other tables than to us - she was visibly more smiley and refilled their water much faster. We only got our water after another server recognized our empty cups after our first dish had arrived. It took a while for us to get the bill because we couldn't get her attention. I'm not sure if its because we didn't order as much, but my table of four honestly felt discriminated against. When I was looking for the bathroom downstairs, instead of politely redirecting me, a staff member angrily asked what I was doing here. I was super excited to check out Bar Chimera for a celebratory post-dinner gathering. While the food was good, it fell a little short to my expectations for the Gracious Hospitality group and the poor service made the experience even worse. read more

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Bar Chimera is gorgeous. I came on a Friday afternoon and is was packed- comfortably packed and definitely the place to be. The space itself is so thoughtfully designed down to the bar counter edge with the leather trim for your elbows. They turned this into quintessential high end midtown establishment, you're transported when you're inside. Special shout out to the AC and internal temperature. It felt like I was breathing the coolest, cleanest air on one of the hottest and most humid days of the year. We only had a couple bites from the menu and chose the tallow fries, salt bread, and lettuce cups. I also got a pornstar Negroni. Tallow fries were delicious. Eat them quickly. Loved the salt bread. What an incredible buttery shell. Definitely recommend. Bar Chimera is a must if you frequent this area. Definitely a new destination bar in midtown! read more

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Bar Chimera completely lived up to the hype. Between the atmosphere, the service, and the food, this was one of those meals you keep talking about long after it's over. The $95 prix-fixe menu is served sharing style, with your choice of an individual entrée. Everything we ate was absolutely delicious. I opted for the 550 Burger as my entrée and was not disappointed. And the martinis? Perfect. I love a dry vodka martini with olives, and Bar Chimera absolutely nails it. Great food, great service, and such a fun experience overall. Highly recommend. I'll definitely be back. read more

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As a pescatarian, I've never been to any of their other restaurants like Cote or Cocodaq, but I'm so glad I got to try them through Bar Chimera. The space is so airy but elegant -- super vibey and is a great spot for after work drinks. We had the most amazing wait staff -- Stephanie was so attentive and gave us amazing recommendations. Firstly, we had the paradise martini and I was blown away. I'm not a big martinis girl, but this is incredible and an absolute must. We also ordered the salt bread service (pricey, but worth it), mushroom fries, and oysters with the crab on top. I will definitely be back for more drinks and food. read more

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Honestly, I thought this place would be overrated but it was actually really good. It was not super hard to make a reservation but we definitely recommend making one. The place itself is beautiful and the service was amazing - downstairs is the second location of Cote and upstairs will be an omakase. They also have matchboxes for each of the three locations. The staff was so friendly and helpful. They do have a tasting menu of $95 per person with appetiziers and everyone gets to choose a main entree. I highly recommend going with this option - there is more than enough food for everyone. For drinks - they have regular cocktails, martinis, wine and whisky - all the drinks sounded super unique and they were all super taste. The martinis actually use less water compared to martinis elsewhere so if you are a fan of those highly recommend it. I highly recommend adding on the salt bread or getting salt bread (it is slightly expensive at $7.50 per person) but absolutely delicious. The pre-fixed menu was also a solid food option - all the appetizers were delicious and you get to try so many different food items. For the entrees we got the steak and frites which came with a side of rice and potatos and the steak was perfectly cooked - they use the same meat as Cote. Overall - highly recommend checking this place out for either drinks or dinner. Amazing food and great service! read more

What a gorgeous restaurant. Where do I even begin? First, our waitress Emily was such a sweetheart and so welcoming. She honestly made the whole experience even better. They have a few different bars and I got a whiskey sour from the whiskey bar and wow... probably the best one I've had so far. I finally got to try caviar with a chicken nugget which was something I've been wanting to do forever, and it did not disappoint. The olives were amazing and the steak frites was to die for. Thank you Bar Chimera for such a beautiful experience. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Came here for drinks after dinner downstairs at Cote 550. This place is definitely a vibe. We had drinks at the whiskey bar and I had an old-fashioned. Service was good, a little pricey but worth it, definitely coming back to check out their dinner. read more

Bar Chimera - Inside - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Wow! This place is amazing. Simon Kim has outdone himself and after Cote and Coqodaq that is very difficult to accomplish. Outstanding on all levels!! The martinis are the best I have ever had. The food, service and ambiance are all excellent. One of the best meals we have had in a long time. We will be back if we can get another reservation. Love this place!! read more

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Visited Bar chimera twice, once during opening week and once again a month after. We loved both our visits! There arent too many trendy bars/dinner spots in the Midtown area, so this is a great addition to the neighborhood. I loved both their martini and whiskey menus. I liked the soda jerk, super creamsicle, the botanist, blush crush & paradise. You can't go wrong with any of their cocktails!! I can't wait to try more drinks and wines in the future. Also some highlights from their dinner menu were the salt bread, steak frites, 550 burger, lettuce cups and red snapper crudo. Also at the bar, the Wagyu corn dogs. The service is also top tier, the hosts and servers were very accommodating and friendly. We loved our experience at Bar Chimera and will definitely continue to be back! read more

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The best martini I have ever had! It gets packed, so make a reservation or get there early. You can make reservations thru Resy for the dining area. There are also 3 really cool bars to visit, but expect them to be really busy (esp right after work!) I can't wait to go back and try everything on the menu. read more

Bar Chimera - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Wonderful atmosphere at Bar Chimera. Cocktails were excellently executed. Our server, Emily was knowledgeable and gracious. We had a wonderful time. We enjoyed our snacks as well. The team at Bar Chimera has covered every detail. You don't mind spending a premium when you're treated to such elegance. read more

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Such a fun atmosphere. Highly knowledgeable staff makes ordering so easy. Everything thing here is best of the best!!! Love the wide open space. read more

Bar Chimera - Pls Fashioned and Mint Julep. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - New York, New York