Tatiana By Kwame Onwuachi

I FINALLY made it to Tatiana, and it was everything I hoped it would be. After all the stress of trying to get a reservation, I can confidently say it was 100% worth it. The hostess and our server were warm, welcoming, and made us feel right at home. The ambiance is contemporary and modern, and we were lucky enough to sit on the newly opened outdoor patio during the summer months. It's spacious and such a vibe! Our table shared several small plates, including the wings, fried okra, rice and peas, and the cornbread and jerked cod. Everything was absolutely delicious, but my two standout favorites were the crab and oxtail patty and the short rib pastrami suya. The short rib took a little longer to come out than the other dishes, but it was worth the wait. Overall, I can honestly say that Tatiana loves up to the hype. I will definitely be back (if I'm lucky enough to get another reservation lol).

The reservation for Tatiana is almost impossible to get and was lucky enough to score one. Started off with the high and dry cocktail and ordered a bunch of items to try: Curry goat patties 10/10 - these were so delicious, the pastry was flaky and buttery and the inside was savory and had a delicious curry flavor. I loved the yogurt aioli which was refreshing and helped cut out the heaviness of the patty Fried okra 10/10 - super addictive and the hot honey really enhanced the flavor Egusi tortellini 8.5/10 - the tortellini itself was well made and al dente with a really interesting egusi filling. The sauce on the plate was also really delicious and paired well with the tortellini. I found the bits of crab to be pretty fishy and it was clearly frozen crab. Jerk chicken wings 10/10 - this wasn't on the menu and was a special for the night. Wings were tender and the jerk bbq flavor was really well balanced with the yogurt dipping sauce. The jerk flavoring was subtle which I preferred Braised oxtail 8/10 - the meat was super tender and flavorful and loved eating it with the rice and peas. I did find the sauce to be too salty for my taste Bbq collard greens 2/10 - this was the worst dish of the meal. The braised beef chunks were chewy and overcooked and tasty as tough as beef jerky. The bbq sauce was so incredibly sweet and overpowered the entire dish, I felt like I was eating collard greens with sugar. The best part was the corn bread which was made well. Mom duke's shrimp 10/10 - I was so impressed with the size and quality of the shrimp. The sauce was delicious and the shrimp was cooked to perfection. This is a must try. Bodega special 7/10 - I understood the concept behind this dessert and found it pretty cool. However, I didn't find the cosmic brownie to be that good, it was pretty standard for a brownie. I did really enjoy the powdered donut ice cream and was fascinated how they made it taste so similar to powdered donut including the texture and consistency of the ice cream. Overall, the food had bold flavors and really opened up my palate to some interesting flavors I don't typically have. The food was good but not amazing enough for me to fight for a reservation each month when it opens up. Service was friendly but they could have changed our plates without us asking and chasing them down. They also took away the serving utensils a few times and we had to chase them down to replace them. The restaurant is very loud which I found a bit too much for me and made it very difficult to have a decent conversation with my friends.

Tatiana absolutely lived up to the hype. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere felt vibrant and welcoming, and the entire experience managed to be both elevated and comfortable at the same time. What stood out most was the food. Every dish felt thoughtful and creative without being overly complicated. The flavors were bold, balanced, and memorable, and you can really see Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s influence throughout the menu. There were multiple dishes that had everyone at the table talking long after dinner was over. The cocktails were equally impressive and complemented the meal perfectly. What made the night especially memorable was that a quick flash flood level rainstorm hit while we were dining. Despite the unexpected chaos outside, the staff handled everything with remarkable grace, professionalism, and composure. Rather than letting the weather impact the experience, they remained attentive, calm, and accommodating, making guests feel taken care of throughout the evening. It was a great example of hospitality at its best. Tatiana is certainly a special occasion restaurant (friend’s birthday) but it never felt pretentious. Between the exceptional food, outstanding service, and the way the team navigated a challenging situation with such poise, it was one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve had in New York City. Well worth the visit.

I can finally understand why it is one of the hardest places to get a reservation in NY. We managed to get one during the week and it was packed. It was loud inside and gave off very upscale vibes which made sense. Ordered the honeynut piri piri salad - super fresh and light but nothing to rave about. The curried goat patties were rich, flavourful and a bit spicy. Mains took a while to come out - we were waiting around 20mins. We got the short rib pastrami which was really good!! Cooked to perfection and it melted in my mouth - would highly recommend. For dessert we ordered the famous bodega special - the brownie was not strong and overpowering at all and the sugar ice cream donut was a cool touch. The highlight was definitely the icebox cake!! It was super light and the caramel brought the cake together. Overall food was delicious but overpriced!

Took a lot of determination and time to get this reservation, and heard all the hype in the world. It’s good. It’s very, very good food. We had four small plates and enjoyed all of them. The curried goat patties, the tortellini, and the collared greens were all delicious. The short rib pastrami deserves all the hype. It’s decadent. The bodega special was fine, I think I may have built it up too much coming in. On the more native side, the service we experienced at our table was…odd. We gave our order and she repeated it, but mostly wrong. She kind of seemed annoyed by us more than anything. And the space is trendy and cool but the music is pretty damn loud. You kind of have to shout a bit to have a conversation. And while the food is quite good, the portions are small and I had trouble finding the value to match the high price point. Overall, Tatiana is a bit of a mixed bag for us. It’s extremely good food but the high price tag and uneven service might not match the effort to get in. I recommend everyone try it but level your expectations past the hype and don’t expect too much.