Wander across the cobblestone street and into The Dominick hotel to discover respected chef Shaun Hergatt's charming New York City restaurant, Vestry. Here the menu features hyper-seasonal, Japanese-influenced American plates served in a sleek, gold and black setting awash in natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The Australian chef garnered much of his experience from working at The Ritz-Carlton, Sydney, followed by a stint as the chef de cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park and as the executive chef at The Setai, Miami Beach. Then Hergatt went back to New York to strike out on his own, opening the much-celebrated and sorely missed spots SHO and Juni.
In 2020, the chef returned to the city’s world-class dining scene to debut Vestry, which brings the same elegance as his other establishments and the same level of exquisite food — here, it’s primarily seafood and vegetables.
- The food speaks to Hergatt's memories of growing up in rural Queensland, Australia, infused with a current-day New York City sensibility. Expect a lot of seafood and vegetables injected with Japanese flavors and whimsy.
- Don't skip the elegant caviar service, available in your choice of 50 or 125 grams with a side of potato blini. Hergatt is an expert in the food — he has his own caviar brand, Caspy, and opened Caviar Bar in Resorts World Las Vegas in 2021.
- Sidle up to the black-marble-topped bar for a meal or just to watch the bartender whip up beautiful drinks such as a non-alcoholic sour with Seedlip Grove, yuzu, egg white and lime, or the boozy Back in Black with cold brew, Japanese whiskey and vanilla.
- During nice weather, snag a seat outside to soak in SoHo’s ambiance. Despite the building’s modern exterior, the side of the hotel has an Old World vibe courtesy of the hanging vines.
- At this fine-dining SoHo restaurant, the interior feels warm and welcoming: there are wood tables without linens, intricate parquet floors, long hanging mirrors and a variety of beautiful potted plants.
- While the seasonal menu is simple, each dish is expertly plated to bring out the main ingredient's signature flavor. Plus, the chef often adds a clever, edible design element. For example, big-eye tuna comes on a fish-shaped potato crisp with tarragon.
- Start with appetizers like an oversized oyster crisp with silky smoked oyster dip served in the shell and small plates like chu toro with yuzu, wasabi and watermelon radish. Then move onto large plates such as black cod with edamame, radish and young onions heirloom tomatoes served with sunflower petals along with chicken with baby corn, sweet garlic and cilantro.
- Dessert is where the chef's Australian upbringing and New York City adulthood really mesh. Pineapple gets caramelized and laced with salted plum and meringue; and the housemade cheesecake, which is shaped like a wedge of Swiss cheese, arrives with a mouse-shaped Honeycrisp apple compote to sweeten the dish.
- The cocktails often include twists on classics, like the Silver Bee, made with gin, chamomile, honey and lemon, or the Parasol, with sparkling wine, lemon and Lillet Blanc. The sake and wine lists are also worth exploring.
Bar
Business casual
Dinner
Gluten-free options
Outdoor seating
Reservations recommended 
Self-parking
Vegetarian options
