Why am I so late to this party? I met my Bumble date for a "drink" at 6pm, Friday night, as the restaurant opened. It's not a bad idea to get there at weird times as Wildair doesn't take reservations so think early, or on Tuesday, for example. There were a handful of people waiting so we were seated without a wait and who isn't into that? I loved the small, well-thought out space, low-key vibe, and especially the clever tables with setups (napkins, cutlery) neatly tucked away into cubbies below the table tops, and the base structure which functions like a stowaway for bags, tech, jackets, etc. Wildair has floor to ceiling glass walls/windows, some of which open, as was the case, last night. Also: the "bar" seating directly in front of their kitchen makes for great entertainment, should you be into that sort of kitchen experience immersion. Next time, for me, for sure. I know that Wildair is known for its fabulous pet'nat wines but it was the first hot-as-hell-Friday of the season so we had cocktails: the Vago Mezcal Espadin & Negroni and the Vergano, Americano Spritz. I've had Campari. And I've had Mezcal. But I've never had them together. Not even kidding when I say this is the cocktail that I've been looking for my entire life. We had a few of each. My date decisively ordered bread and oil and 1/2 a dozen oysters. Sort of like an Old-Italian-Master snack. I was impressed. They serve their oysters as I like: with lemon. A mignonette was asked for and it appeared but honestly, the oysters were lovely in their naked state. I ordered the littleneck clams with XO and almond "broth"--these were ethereal. Lightly poached clams, chilled, in an almond milk (don't think smoothies or granola, folks), XO (that crazy delicious 1980s Hong Kong Cantonese condiment made of roughly chopped dried seafoods, including scallops, dried fish and shrimp, and subsequently cooked with chili peppers, onions, and garlic--sometimes even ham) and a bit of feathery, teeny tiny seaweed with bulbs. Gorgeous. And Delicious. The date agreed, even tho his bivalve preference doesn't include littlenecks. Not to worry gentle readers, I didn't take that as a sign. Jason, who served us, and Mike, another server, were relaxed, elegant, and really into making sure that we were well taken care of, in a low-key way. I noticed that the table next to ours was eating some sort of fried thing and I asked Mike about it. It was the Fried Shrimp, Lemon and Herb Mayonnaise plate. I enquired if we might just have some fried lemon--because FRIED LEMON you guys?!?! And magically, a few minutes later, Mike whispered up to our table with a small dish of said lemon and mayonnaise. We agreed that we could eat a much larger portion of these things, easily. Perhaps too easily. And suggested that were it to be offered as a plate, we'd have to become regulars. Mike demurred and mentioned that he might let the Chef know. The point here is this: excellent service isn't just about having a seamless experience, it's about working with people who know their stuff and want you to have the very best experience you can, under their careful, gracious execution. It's also about creating a sense of ease and wonder, thereby hooking you into dining with them again. It worked y'all. These folks should be running the country. Thanks, Wildair. We had a lovely time! read more

It's great to sit in front of the open kitchen where you can see all the action. Food is delicious but not much of a drink selection read more

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Heard about this place through the Grape Nation Podcast for their stellar wine program, so I knew it was going to be a great place to drink my favorites, which are Pet'Nats, but when I took a look at the food menu...mmmmmmm...I wasn't as thrilled as I was with their wine. I truly detest drinking on an empty stomach, and worse yet a restaurant with a beautiful wine menu and barely any food. This restaurant only has 18 items on the food menu, and thankfully, every single one of the items we ordered were delicious! We ordered... 1) their bread and olive oil. Seriously, the best sourdough I've ever had. Dense, hearty, fluffy, fragrant, fresh and with olive oil, it was fabulous. 2) squash blossoms with stracciatella and chicken skin. As soon as I saw the chicken skin, I knew I had to order it! Squash blossoms are a soft edible flower which was made even softer and wetter with the stracciatella cheese, but the crispy, salty chicken skin gave it the perfect contrasting element to this dish. 3) the beef tartare, cheddar, horseradish, brazil nuts which wasn't ordered by me. My partner said he wasn't thrilled with this tartare. Nothing particularly special. I don't eat raw foods unless it's summer time which is why I was a bit disappointed with the veggies on their menu. 4) the pork milanese, gribiche and mustard greens. Sizable. Very sizable. I could barely finish I was so full. Seriously, you can never go wrong with breaded pork cutlet. read more

Wildair - New American Near Me - New York, New York

I LOOOOVE WildAir. The food is delicious, - my fav combo is their bread with radishes and seaweed butter (I did notice the bread is the freshest on Tuesdays ;), Tartar is to die for! Squash blossom, stracciatella, chicken skin surprised me in a VERY good way. Desserts are masterpieces per usual. Servers are always chill and knowledgeable about their interesting wine list. Chairs are tough to get in and out of, but what a small price to pay for such a great experience every single time. read more

Honestly one of the best dinners I've had in NYC including the food, service and ambiance. read more

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The entire staff there is so gracious and very pleasant.. Not an hint of douchbaggery.. That is really one thing we found, just on top of amazing food, the service was lovely, the room crowded but warm, it is really a wonderful place. Several small plates of beautiful food are being produced out of this tiny kitchen.. They have a lovely wine list and crack several magnums for their by the glass program.. I usually order bottles of wine but, this place, you are better off trying a bunch of different wines by the glass. The steak tartar is phenomenal..The steak chopped perfectly into chewy pieces, covered with smoked cheddar and grated horseraddish, I was in love. We had this fried potato cake topped with a very large helping of uni.. This too was really a thing of beauty.. Next up were these raw clams topped with cream and some Chinese flavoring.. This too was among my most recent favorite bites of food. They have these two very exciting salads too.. Little gem covered in with dill and lemon and pistachio dressing.. I could literally eat this salad every day and be happy.. They also have a crispy grain salad with hearts of palm and tarragon.. Yah, i was so down with this.. The place gets crowded so, I would suggest after 9:30.. Put your name down and grab a drink at one of the many bars dotting the surrounding streets.. The vibe is welcoming and busy and warm and the food is among the most exciting around. Truly worth a visit. read more

this stuff is crazy. bonkers, bananas, nuts, loco, insane, synonyms; you know the type.

I came to Wildair twice in one weekend. While the wine list is awesome and the food is good, the meal was just waayyy overpriced for how hungry I felt afterwards. read more

Great experience! Group had turnips, lettuce salad, beef tartar, skate, scallops crudo and pork Milanese and both desserts of the day. Super fresh ingredients and the flavors were all amazing. Plates are small minus the pork Milanese but still very shareable. The desserts were great too... Not to sweet and the popcorn granita (?) was refreshingly unique. read more

One of my favorite spots in Manhattan. Everything in the menu is delicious, but my favorites are the grain salad, the maitake, and the whole fish is also delicious. For dessert, the hazelnut tart is marvelous! Amazing natural wine list. They also have kombucha. The staff, oh the staff...they are my favorite people! read more

Absolutely wonderful evening with amazing delicious dishes! The staff and chefs were so attentive. The food was ...perfect! Thank you! read more

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I came to this place with high expectations after reading reviews of it being the best new restaurant in New York etc and while the food is not bad I was pretty disappointed. Food: We ordered the steak tartare, which was good but nothing special and there are many better in New York. I feel like the taste isn't so original and isn't as good as your traditional French steak tartare. It was very expensive for what I would say is an average dish. We also had this fish (it has been a while since I had there so I am forgetting but I believe it was mackerel or perhaps sardine) with a type of yuzu butter. The yuzu butter was quite unique and I commend them for a bit of unique innovation but it wasn't super great. Also the fish tasted like it came from a can not fresh at all. Honestly with these prices you shouldn't serve canned fish, an absolute disgrace. We also had the bread which was good but not good enough to pay 5 dollars for. The service was pretty poor for a place with these prices. When I asked for salt for the olive oil (that came with the bread) the waiter quickly and rudely dismissed me and said "it already has salt". His manner and tone was incredibly rude and I do not pay such high prices to be spoken to like that. Other than that the service was inattentive and despite not many people being there (it was quite early), I did not feel comfortable. In the end this place is nowhere near as innovative as it thinks, it has incredibly overpriced underwhelming food (honestly canned fish really??) and I would suggest not going. read more

I would rate this 1 out of 10 based on food and environment. But because of the Okay service i am giving it 2 stars. Wildair has been on my radar for the last month or 2. Ever since it was nominated for the James Beard award for best new restaurant. It seems to be a casual small winebar serving small plates. Getting a table: Wildair unlike sister restaurant Contra which is 2 doors down is a first come first serve establishment. Which means on the weekends get there before 7 to be able to catch a bite before a reasonable time. We put our name down around 630 and was told a 1 hour wait. After coming back at 7 we saw a lot of empty tables but was not able to be seated til 740. Nite cap down the road is a nice place to grab a drink. Ambiance: Once seated in one of the cramped bar seats, one quickly realizes how small and loud the space is. The loudness and the cramped environment i looked past thinking the food would be good. But the place is dark, minimal lighting. It took a while for the waitress to come with the wine menu and water. Noticed that my water glass was dirty could not track down someone for a new one. Cleanliness is a pet peeve of mine. There is a pretentiousness to it as if they know what food and wine is better than you do. The wine list: If you do decide to drink as this is a winebar, You would expect a vast list of wines by the glass. The wine list online shows a large amount of different varieties that one has never really heard of from France. They said all their wines are natural. I don't know what they mean by natural. On the list i would say in total there is less than 10 wine by the glass combining sparking, white and reds. Not many options. Their online list does not tell you this. The way the list uses words that you have never heard of or seen just eeks pretentiousness. So we ordered some glasses of whites they were okay nothing to write home about. Food: I was excited by the menu online even though limited in selection. The menu on the day we went had alot less items of interest. We had 4 things. The bread and olive oil. I understand charging for the bread if it was amazing. But buying a forccacio at eataly and eating it with your favorite olive oil and maldon salt would be far superior. The scallop crudo. This is no crudo. The scallops where diced and hidden under a blanket of thin sliced radishes. The dish had a super vinegary and an after thought of spice taste to it. This was almost inedible. The scallops should be the main focus of a crudo but it was not and execution and taste was poor. On another note the pine nuts aka the 4th ingredient contributed nothing to this dish. The beef tartare A tartare that has cheese and chopped nuts on top. The beef quality was mediocre almost tough. The dish did not come together well. By this point i have pretty much given up on this place. The last dish is the pork milanese This is basically a large pork chop. with some greens and sauce on the side. The pork chop was not juicy or seasoned well. It was bland. Even though i would have like to try more dishes and their deserts based on the poor dishes we decided to leave. Maybe we went on an off night as the front of house was also helping with waitress. Maybe they are short staffed. But i am not looking to come back anytime soon. read more

Its 2016 and you figured that not being able to be seated because of your race wouldnt exist anymore especially if you live in NY. Well be assured it does in does in this establishment. Came with a group of non-white friends and was denied service. They dont do reservations, walked in, saw 2 tables for 5 and 4 people, and a short caucasian lady with blonde hair just said no they wont serve us. We tried to ask why, they made an excuse that people has that table taken. At the same time, they do first come first serve, so was confused why TWO tables are being held. Tried to talk to a manager but the caucasian lady said she was, but she didnt look like the manager, more like a waitress. No place is worth this if they out right treat random people like this. read more

IN SHORT: Casual, inventive, small plates from two talented, young chefs in a space that blurs the distinction between restaurant and wine bar. THE STORY: In March of this year, I wrote about Contra, the first, tasting-menu-only restaurant by the young, boundary-pushing duo of Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske. I called it a sophisticated, subtly innovative restaurant so well suited to a youthful New York culinary scene, and though the price of 5-courses has since moved from $55 up to $67 this season, the ambition and the sensibility behind the restaurant is still there. In June, the pair then opened Wildair, a slightly more casual space, offering an à la carte dinner menu just a couple doors down on a quietly gritty stretch of Orchard Street. And as is true of a great oeuvre in a great discipline, both restaurants are made better by the other's existence. Where Contra is disciplined and restrained, the no-reservations Wildair is brave and informal. The chefs seem to have relaxed their cooking and now apply salt, fat, and spice with a more freewheeling hand, and it is for the benefit of all. The tender morsels of beef tartare were made rich from ethereal ribbons of smoked cheddar and chesnut, and then quickly made spicy by just the right hit of horseradish. With crispy barley scattered on top, it is a dish made by chefs with an almost unparalleled intuition for what is perfectly fresh, natural, and seasonal, and yet the depth of flavor is more profound than imaginable. The spicy tuna on toast topped with tomatoes of an identical hue is slightly less successful, with the briny scallion that tastes of seaweed too strong a flavor to sit next to the delicate fish. It is, however, just a rare unfortunate incident when one novel, conceptual flavor wins out at the expense of others. Yet in the whole Georgia white shrimp, served heads-on with celery and cilantro, adventure and experimentation return, and bold, oily, spicy flavors zing around the palette. The plate feels like an evolution of the chefs' more emphatically New Nordic inspiration taken at Contra, presenting a meal here of whole, scavenged ingredients treated with a breathless, expressive energy. As at Contra, Chef von Hauske's "bread and butter service" is still exceptional, most recently presenting a gloriously dense and chewy roll with a crackling crust. However, the dish that possibly best represents Wildair is the fried squid. Here, the chefs have lightly fried in what is ultimately an airy skin both tender bites of squid and barely preserved slices of lemon. After a surprising bite of the fried lemon, the acidity and bittersweetness linger, and the next bite of squid, dipped in a rich, dark aioli stained with ink, becomes even brighter and more deliciously energetic. The dish in its entirety embodies the earnest, experimental approach at Wildair, where culinary norms are upended with gentle, contemporary moves. The space itself has also been designed with a neutral attitude on what form the experience of going out to dinner should take. The narrow, 45-seat space is divided into two long rows of bar-height tables with four additional seats on a counter facing directly into the open kitchen, and the long, modern, heavily French wine list offers many the option of just enjoying a drink while perhaps nibbling on a small snack from the menu. Others will be squeezing 5 or 6 larger dishes onto their table, eagerly making a full dinner last for 2 hours. It is almost as if the restaurant wants to scream that it is "For the People!", whoever they might be. The chefs are young and they are exceedingly talented, and thus the food is focused and energetic, the restaurant honest and transparent in turn. Indeed, Wildair is a great work in a great discipline, a great addition to dining in the Lower East Side, a great addition to the young, modern New York we know. read more

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Save your self time deciding and just order the whole menu. My friend has a serious shellfish allergy and after falling in mouth lust with everything non shellfish that we ordered, I silently cursed him for his non-mermaid genetics in my mind. Ordering everything will keep friendships in tact. Wine too. read more

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I seriously crave their beef tartare and I don't even eat red meat that often... Other really delicious dishes: potato darphin/uni...just order your own, hard to share this! Sourdough bread/olive oil, and pork milanese...other dishes are great as well but every time I'm here, these are a must. Just wish they'd take reservations...unless you're here when they open, you'll have to wait. read more

Tried to eat here tonight (around 8pm on a Thursday night). Place didn't seem super busy as there were a couple open tables. I waited just inside the front door for nearly 5 minutes and watched 3 staff members walk within 2 feet of me (including one person walk by 3 times) without anyone saying a word to me or even making eye contact. Pathetic! Seems the good reviews have gone to their heads. read more

Possibly the worst wine selection I've ever seen. I had to send back the first bottle after tasting it and the second was no better. Very small dishes and overpriced. $100 wagyu for two should've been a $65 wagyu for one. The food is decent, the prices and sizes are ridiculous. Would not go back. read more

A friend recommended we try Wildair this weekend and we both liked it quite a bit. The menu was creative and diverse, and the wine selection was wonderful. The new American style reminded me of one of my favorites from home. We ordered several small plates and liked them all. I enjoyed the wine I had, maybe partly because the label was a Ghostbusters reference. The wall seating was a little cramped; try to get a middle table instead if you can! read more

Wildair - New American Near Me - New York, New York

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Stellar food. Simple dishes expertly executed with fresh ingredients bristling in flavor. Had the best swordfish I've ever had. Plates range in sizes depending on the contents but ordering one from each of the 3 sections of the menu was a satisfying meal. read more

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Ok first of all, if you haven't been here or Contra, punch yourself in the face! Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske dreamt up these sister eateries and have really done a bang-up job. Though this review is mainly for Wildair, I will say that the attention to detail, the warmth and inviting nature of the spaces, and (of course) the food is on-point as fuck for both places. On the night I was there, it was apparent to me that Jeremiah is a hustler--there is no shared kitchen, so he is literally Benny Hilling out the door and into the next to keep operations running smoothly. EXTENSIVE and choice wine list. Incredible in-house baked, still-warm, chewy and savory bread. Delicious radishes sitting perfectly in delicious seaweed butter (did I taste matcha up in there?!!). Beautiful shrimp with a dreamy adornment of lime, fennel, celery. Spigarello!!! It's a broccoli rabe heirloom, you peasant! Put it in your mouth! Before I left, I had to tell Jeremiah myself that the most amazing part of this experience was the rhubarb custard. Shut. Up. I can't even do it justice. Go try some. In fact, try it twice. At the beginning of your meal AND at the end. I can't wait for the next time I roll through here. It's a good place to keep in mind for needing a quick little snack, or a meal to satisfy a variety of cravings, or a magnum of wine. Or two bowls of rhubarb custard. (If I have any criticism at all, it's the lighting. I wish it was just a touch warmer?) read more

Seriously the most innovative, delicious food. Definitely in my top 3 favorite restaurants in all of NYC and I don't say that lightly. Every time I go, I like to try one of everything on the menu and I've never tried anything I didn't like. Shrimp burgers are dynamite, the veal tongue and tripe is off the charts. CHEFS KISS read more

Over due review of Overrated restaurant with overly acidic, salty food and small portions. I guess people are are easily influenced by the hype. read more

Been wanting to try this place but was deterred by the supposedly long wait. Finally went on a Tuesday night and NO WAIT! Food was tapa style small plates and they have a few bottles of interesting wines on their list from less popular regions which I always appreciate. Space is tight, and the three of us end up ordering almost every vegetable and seafood dishes on the menu. Their grain salads are better than what the description promised, so don't leave out the greens. All the food we tasted were great, the 2 bottles of Slovenian sparkling rose were delish, and the last bottle of orange wine we tried was just different enough to end our night on an interesting note..Overall a great experience! will come back with girlfriends next time. read more

Definitely one of my top 5 restaurants in New York. Finally managed to go back again and this time everything was perfect. Food was excellent, as always. Wine, amazing. The service, the best. Thank you wildair for a lovely meal. Hope to visit again soon, if i can manage the 2 hour wait. read more

Wildair - Wagyu steak for two. But it was enough for three. - New American Near Me - New York, New York

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We had an experience at Wildair that, while not flawless, was overwhelmingly positive and would inspire return visits. We were impressed first with the service-- our waiter was highly knowledgeable about the wine list, and when we selected a particular rosé, he warned us that it was very sweet. We were not about that! He directed us instead to an excellent pét-nat, which was actually less expensive than the wine we had originally selected. We highly appreciated the advice and not getting upsold. We started with the bread, which costs $4 and is worth it. It is a miscellaneous European-style boule, but with excellent structure and crust. It comes with a very good, grassy Extra Virgin olive oil that was very much to our liking. We next had the potato darphin with uni, which is a hashbrown cake topped with picked jalapenos and, naturally, sea urchin. I was expecting this to be a little bland, but the pickled jalapenos made the whole experience very light, and especially with the creamy uni it ended up being very flavorful. The fried squid is a fairly standard, though well executed, tempura. Interspersed among the pieces of squid are onion rings and fried lemons, and the tempura batter is opaque enough that you aren't quite sure until you bite in-- which was fun, and like a little joke. The dish was otherwise a little normal for a restaurant that is mostly defined by a sense of whimsy, but it definitely deserves extra points for the excellent squid ink mayo with which it is served. The white shrimp was easily the low point of the evening. It was solid on flavor, but was served with head, legs, tail, and shell still on. I am no wuss about taking seafood apart but it was a big shrimp and stopping eating to dissect it felt like work. It also got our hands so messy that we had to wash them. It's a misstep, but we appreciated that they were trying something interesting. It's a really cute space, and a perfect date spot. I highly recommend coming before it opens to snag a table for sure. I'd be excited to come back and see how the menu evolves. read more

"Drink the wild air's salubrity,"--Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Merlin's Song" How much did I like Wildair you ask? Enough to do some research to see what "Wildair" means...I still don't know (as it pertains to the name of this restaurant), but it did take me to this famous line in the Emerson poem above! Salubrity means "favorable to promoting health or well being."...and this is where I'm going... I can't speak for health, but the restaurant Wildair, completely takes me to a place of "well being." Everything about it is a reminder of what I love about living in the City (which I don't, nor have ever done, but long to do!). The restaurant itself is tiny, 36 seats I believe, and as you may have seen online, this place is getting a lot of attention, and is pretty hard to get into unless you get there early...but it's worth it if you do...and that's what we did! At 5:45 on a Tuesday; we were third in a small line that had set up outside (6pm open). By 6:30 we heard them telling new customer's coming in that the wait was about 1.5-2 hours. The food--Inventive, full flavor, excitement to your mouth, and brain! We had many items mentioned on yelp as well as in pro-reviews. They were all special in there own way. Below are my favorites: Fried squid, spring onion, lemon, basil--Perfectly fried, crispy and crackly coated, yet melt in your mouth squid, onion and lemon. I have never eaten fried lemons before, and they were incredible. The citrus bite is softened by the frying leaving perfect lemon flavor. I can't describe the sauce it comes with other than to say it's a simple "creamy" accompaniment that adds to the dish. Tuna, cabbage, potato--The waiter said, "this tastes like a Ruben, but not in a bad way!"...Yup...This is perfectly seared tuna, sitting on perfectly roasted potatoes (I'm not meaning to be boring using "perfectly" back to back here...it just is what it is), with charred cabbage and spices on top. All of this sitting in a brown butter emulsion--Bite for bite, one of the best things I've had eaten in the past year! We also had the Beef Tartare and two desserts--As good as you've heard or read about! The wine-list isn't my thing, but it's very well executed for what they're going for. I did find a glass that I enjoyed. Atmosphere--brick walls, great music, open kitchen, tight tables, great energy--Not everyone's cup of tea--but perfect for me! read more

The food here is inventive, cooked intelligently, and yet, it still feels similar and comfortable. The fried squid may be one of the best things I've had in a long while. The desserts, one a chocolate/hazelnut tart and another a panna cotta, are excellent ways to end a meal. The price point in all aspects, from appetizers to cocktails, are also spot on - affordable even. Beyond what others are saying about the food, I particularly enjoyed the details of the decor and ambience. Look up and around you, and you'll notice the design details (again the intelligence put into the experience). The music just made me want to hang out there and have a good time. read more

When I finally visited Wildair, I have to admit, the menu seemed a bit underwhelming. I recall sitting there thinking, is this Fried calamari really supposed to be the "main event"? It all seemed very... tame. Well, I'm happy to say that this is indeed the best fried calamari on the planet. Seriously. Everything they served was great. Exceptional bites accompanied by an excellent wine list and good cocktails. But that Calamari... (never thought I'd be this excited over fried calamari again) And the perfectly fried lemons... and the squid ink aioli.... I mean there's just not much else to say. if you have the best of something, in a city with as much good food as New York, you get at least the four stars. read more

Decent food, just no particularly standout aspect or dish for me. Two friends and I stopped by on a Friday evening at 6:15, and we found one of the last few tables available at that time. We split the bread and olive oil, potato darphin, beef tartare, fried squid, and seared tuna between the three of us, and while it was all pretty unique and moderately tasty, and I just didn't find any of the dishes particularly memorable. The potato darphin had a fairly generous heaping of uni, but I didn't find the pairing too tasty, and the fried squid was a tad too breaded for my liking. I did enjoy the beef tartare with the cheddar, although I found the tuna a bit lacking in flavor, and my most favorite dish was probably the chocolate tart dessert. It was generally alright, but if I had waited for an hour to be seated (i.e. if we had arrived 15 minutes later), I probably would have not found it worth the wait. read more

Exciting times call for exciting food. Yet another friend's bittersweet goodbye and dinner at Wildair qualify. Before I forget, the service was top-notch to say the least, from the first moment I walked to the front, my friend arrived a bit later, the host noticed and spoke to me. Phenomenal as she wasn't even standing there but making her rounds and spotted me as I was trying not to be noticed. And the service continued to be great, in checking on us, and in the food coming to us without a super long wait like it does in many superb dining restaurants. Did someone say superb? Made me think of the fried squid with black ink aioli, aka the "winner" as my friend happily called it. Its shiny, black, and very unusual dipping sauce attracted the attention of the tables sitting next to us. We kept hearing "What's that?!" over and over and over again... If that wasn't enough to make us feel like the rockstars we secretly are--I'm normally too cool or rather, too old for dinner on the LES, or I like to pretend that I am which is why I hadn't been there in so long before this dinner--the taste certainly was. I couldn't get enough of the aioli and they gave us an ample amount. But I kinda wanted to inhale it. The squid itself was cooked perfectly, not chewy at all but meaty and just a divine texture. We took our time to savor it.Talked about Texas, her future career moves and her now fiancé. Before the superstar squid, we had the little gem lettuces that we both agreed looked especially delicious but there was some taste component missing, sweetness or savoriness perhaps. It was just a bit too tangy and needed some onions or cheese to round it out. You'd think the pistachios would give it that sweet-ish flavor but alas it didn't. The conversation was at its thickest moment of gossip about work. Before the lettuces, we had the sensational Potato darphin, aka close runner up to the squid. There's just something about uni --sea urchin-- that no one can deny is crave-worthy. And in this dish, paired with a crispy potato croquette, you probably want to get your own. We managed to share one, but I believe it's unsharable and worth it to enjoy knowing that you have all that luscious, complex uni flavor, with the expected nature and texture of a deep fried home fry, to yourself. We had just waited an hour for dinner and were talking about the first place we visited while waiting. The food there was simple, comfort food and the ambiance matched it. It wasn't at all like the special plates and very NYC modern day tapas vibe that Wildair has claimed its own. read more

I will be completely honest... I didn't even eat here. The hostess was rude enough too deter us before we threw away our money. Don't ask to see the menu or about availability. This will anger her. read more

Wildair was a little disappointing -- I didn't find the food very memorable. The staff and service were accommodating but they seemed understaffed. It took a long time to get our waiter's attention. The tables were a bit too squished together and it felt like we were sitting on top of each other. Bread & Olive Oil: Bread was uniquely dense with a nice crisp crust. 4/5 Pork Rillette: Decent consistency but lacked flavor 3/5 Cauliflower: Best thing we ordered there. Well cooked and delicious sauce 5/5 Beef Tartare: Bland and forgettable 2/5 Fried Squid: Well cooked. The paired sauce was a little dull 4/5 Panna Cotta: Weirdly deconstructed and the flavors didn't gell together 2/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 2/5 Food: 3/5 read more

4 words: WAGYU STEAK FOR 2. Yes please, still dream of this dish. This restaurant really impressed me with the food! The restaurant is tiny (you'll hear other conversations, touch elbows, see a missed eyebrow hair on another dinner guest, etc...) and the waits are long. On a Saturday night we weren't seated until 10 (walked around LES to kill time for an hour) - doesn't bother us, but for some people this may be too late. There is no bar inside to grab a drink at and wait. But worth the wait, and it quiets down by 10 because most people are leaving when you are starting. We shared a romaine salad, it was chilled, crisp and had a pleasant variety of flavors in the light dressing from fresh herbs and pistachio. It was refreshing and needed because then we ordered straight up raw, or near raw, beef. We got the beef tartare and both appreciated the subtle differences from many of the traditional/classic tartares that dot so many menus, differences such as smoky cheddar and chestnuts on top - I liked the crunch. And was no raw egg for another difference. Very mild beef flavor, cold and light. I would highly recommend it! Then the aforementioned wagyu, dry-aged as well - just delectable. Warm, juicy, fatty, salty (maybe they could have eased up here) and mild - every thinly sliced bite was so satisfying. The vinegary-carrots were a great flavor combination to the beef, and the mild white sauce (I'll be honest, I don't remember what it was, but it was creamy and light. It was not needed, but did complement the beef). If you are a carnivore and can handle your meat slightly warm because it's nearly raw, you'll like this, otherwise it might scare you. And honestly three people could easily share this and feel satisfied. Our waiter recommended the Francois Ecot Avec ou Sans Mercure wine to go with our meal and it was perfect - it was low in tannins and lighter bodied. Lastly, when you go, if the panna cotta is on the dessert menu get it. When we went in the spring, the fruit was strawberry. It was the icing on the cake for us - perfectly smooth panna cotta, tangy strawberry, and sweet crunchy milk crumbles that had a touch of salt. read more

Was looking forward to dinner here as I haven't been on the LES in a while. It's very much a young crowd, 20s mostly, so can get loud. Everyone sits closely together in very high chairs. Our waiter suggested sharing four dishes for two people. We ordered five. The pan tomate was very pretty but a bit impractical to eat. The tomato is on the bottom and topped with a thin crisp bread. Cutting into it is a total bummer because the tomato gets squished and the bread cracks in shards. It was seasoned well but hard to get a complete bite. We also ordered the squash blossoms, a tempura type app. It was a bit too much batter for my tastes. The head on shrimp was tasty but I couldn't get my head around eating the shell, which was chewy and uncomfortable. The tuna with peppers was good but not memorable. Potatoes were very crispy and tasty. The uni was a nice touch but didn't add much flavor. The standout was the peach dessert, a creamy, light taste of heaven. If you're in the area, I'd recommend getting a glass of wine and maybe one dish. read more

I loved this resto. My type of place, casual but great emphasis on fresh top of the line ingredients and a super knowledgeable and helpful staff. Start from the beginning the bread and olive oil were spectacular and gives you a glimpse of what type of restaurant this is. They care deeply and take fantastic pride in delivering amazing bread with a rich deep clean olive oil. We shared our courses and loved everything we had. The pork rillette was special. The pork milanese - deep in porky goodness but with a great crispy crust. Ok let's move away from the piggy... although i hate doing that. The roamin lettuces were terrific, loved the beef tartare and wanted more and more of the fried squid. If you want a chummy, hip, cool fun spot with great service and inventive food, check wildair out but be prepared to wait a bit as there are no ressies taken... Not sure how Yelp photos are picked but the one for wild air makes it look like there is a poop (it's a cupcake in fact) next to their name... WildAir protest this... read more

These guys killed it... food was killer our waiter Micheal paired a glass with each course. Get the uni, shrimp toast... actually everything . Thanks so much for a great dinner on my day off. Such good food and wine read more

Wildair - New American Near Me - New York, New York

I had a great experience at Wildair. It was the summer, weather was warm, doors were wide open - fantastic ambiance. We almost fought another couple for the last portion of the spicy tuna... sort of kidding about the fight... but it was so good that we just HAD to get seconds. No luck there. Everything was fantastic, but what will really bring us back is the tables. You heard right. The tables are really cool, my husband went apesh$t over the fact that he could store his cellphone in the underneath "desk" compartment. I loved the food, he loved the tables... there's something for everybody here. read more

Yes give me more!: 1.Oysters- I will always want more of these briny bivalves. 2. Fried Squid- so darn good that we ordered this twice! 3. Claims in almond milk- Doing the happy food dance as I think of this delectable dish. Who knew Almond milk paired will with oysters? 4. Sweet potato, ricotta, tahini- Ricotta. It's got ricotta. 5. Tuna Cabbage Potato- The dish looked unappealing when it arrived. I didn't like the color of the tuna but everyone at the table agreed this dish was unexpectedly delicious. I could take it or leave it: 1. Bread and Olive oil- My 4 dinner mates loved it but I don't like to waste precious stomach space on bread. 2. Romaine Lettuces with pistachio- Very good flavors but compared to the other dishes, not so special 3. Potato jalapeno uni- Potato cake was yummy and I normally love anything with spice, but this just didn't do it for me 4. Georgia White Shrimp- extremely tasty but I didn't realize I had to peel the shrimp. 5. Crudo- This is tasty but if you are only going to order one fish dish, go with the tuna cabbage The deserts that night were a chocolate something and an orange flavor something that tasted like a creamsicle. Stick with the chocolate something. read more