You’ll Want to Go Back to BLACKBARN · New York City

When I count my days by moments I’ve truly enjoyed, food is essential and it sits at the top of the list. Great food is one of life’s best pleasures — that’s why great food becomes more important for us as we achieve greater success. Celebrations are centered around a feast and great restaurants are the stage. One of the restaurants that I always find my way back to is BLACKBARN where the food and ambiance are always telling my favorite story.

Food is one part of the experience. And it has to be somewhere between 50 to 60 percent of the dining experience. But the rest counts as well: The mood, the atmosphere, the music, the feeling, the design, the harmony between what you have on the plate and what surrounds the plate.

— Alain Ducasse

When I’m having a special meal with special people, I like to take my time and enjoy things fully. At BLACKBARN, I love to start my evening in their Tavern up front with one of their handcrafted cocktails before being seated in their Main Dining Room.

I really want to stress that every day except Sunday, there are 2 happy hours in the Tavern, one from 4-6 and the other from 9-11pm. That’s right, Friday and Saturday night you need to be here before hitting the town.

The atmosphere is comforting, welcoming, with good background music and high ceilings. I especially enjoy weekend brunches when they play live blues for brunch.

Food is our common ground, a universal experience.

— James Beard

Foie gras is a delicacy and BLACKBARN crates its own unique recipe that will delight any fan of gourmet food.

I love the language of food — the history and customs of our cuisines fascinate me. Where did it truly start?  How did someone know to combine these flavors?

Foie Gras is one of those dishes I’ve had and appreciated, which means I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to order. But at BLACKBARN, they have the best — Foie Gras Terrine with rhubarb ginger compote, and toasted sourdough. It’s savory and the house-made rhubarb ginger compote adds just the perfect amount of subdued sweetness to the entire experience. I’m craving it (again) just thinking about BLACKBARN’s foie gras.

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

— Luciano Pavarotti

My favorite part about dining with friends and family is the ability to share. This means I get to try more dishes because sometimes it’s SO HARD to choose between the goodness on the menu plus I get to try foods I wouldn’t have ordered before. Here we tried a dish from 3 of their categories from BLACKBARN’s menu — Garden, Ocean, and Slow Cooked (the other is Wood Grilled). I really love how they broke these up into categories. For our main meals we shared the house-made Butternut Squash Ravioli, Salt Meadow Spring Lamb with zaatar spice, and stuffed rigatoni, fresh figs, and roasted fennel – as well as the Grilled Big-Eye Tuna with Sicilian caponata, basil parsley salad, light lemon dressing, pickled raisins.

I’ve long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime associates, food, for me, has always been an adventure.

— Anthony Bourdain

The Grilled Big-Eye Tuna with Sicilian caponata is one of the Chef/Owner John Doherty’s favorite dishes and ever since it was introduced to the menu, it’s kept its rightful place. It’s also one of my favorite dishes of all time. Their Executive Chef Matteo Bergamini has brought an excellent dosage of his home country Italy to this dish with the Sicilian caponata — the golden raisins tie it all together. It also happens to be packed with a perfectly grilled ahi steak Tuna.

Great food is like great sex. The more you have the more you want.

— Gael Greene

Life isn’t life without indulging in sweetness. Their pastry Chef Anwuli Obidi is a badass in the kitchen. Her creations are a combination of savory-sweet and she nails it every time. Above you can see the Rum Butterscotch Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream which is hot and cold, sweet and savory. So delicious!

After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives.

Oscar Wilde

My Doosts, indulge in life’s flavors and stop into BLACKBARN for your next special dinner. A shout out to the incredible chefs who’ve made my life taste better 😋

For BLACKBARN reservations click here.

Find them in NYC’s historic NoMad District across Madison Square Park — yes there’s patio seating.