Hav & Mar on 26th & 11th is a hidden gem

Hav & Mar is a hidden gem on 26th Street & 11th Avenue. Nailing the industrial loft look, this is an Ethiopian/Swedish fusion restaurant (yes, those two things can evidently be fused) by Marcus Samuelsson, who is also the head chef of Red Rooster in Harlem. The bar wraps around and while it says you need reservations, you really don’t most of the time (especially if you sit at the bar). NYT write-up here.

This place calls itself a “seafood house” but that honestly its selling itself short—it has a 10/10 lamb pasta and a 10/10 short rib biryani (which says it’s for 2-4 people, but unless those 4 people have extremely small stomachs, it’s closer to 2). The block-approved move is to get the seafood tower (called the “Black Mermaid Tower”) and then head for the Havatini 2.0 (rigatoni pasta with shrimp and crab) or the branzino. There is also a menu option to just let the chef pick for you, and after giving them a few preferences, you really should just go with that. Trust the experts.

Highly recommend.