No. 56: Café Atlántico

Call it the Minibarification of Café Atlántico. Purées and powders, dabs, drizzles, and deconstructions—they’re everywhere on the cafe’s menu. Not surprising, since Minibar is housed on Atlántico’s second floor and chef José Andrés is the guiding light of both (as well as of Jaleo, Zaytinya, and the forthcoming Bar José).

But where one-bite whimsies are Minibar’s raison d’être, Atlántico, with its Latin feel and fiesta colors, conjures visions of generous portions and bold flavors. Often the Minibar-like cleverness works—shrimp with corn purée and lime “air” is a wonder, as are conch fritters with a luxuriously liquid center and veal cheeks with Serrano-ham powder. But deconstructing feijoada, the hearty Brazilian black-bean-and-pork stew, with each component artfully arranged on a chic square plate, feels a bit precious.

Desserts—including a warm chocolate cake with Venezuelan chocolate flan and banana foam and a coconut panna cotta with vanilla-lime gelée—strike a detente between whimsical experimentation and crowd-pleasing directness.

Regulars know to show up after the pretheater rush, when service can be sluggish, and to take advantage of the marvelous Latino dim sum brunch on weekends, a parade of colors, flavors, and textures.