Anto is Cote in a tuxedo

RESTAURANTS • First Word

The Skinny: If Cote put on a tuxedo, it would be Anto. It’s the newest player in the tornado of haute Korean concepts (Naro at Rock Center, Cote and bōm in Flatiron, Seoul Salon in Koreatown) hitting NYC. It’s the work of Tony Park of QB Hospitality, whose previous spots you probably don’t know (Antoya, Katherine). With Anto, he’s putting himself on the map. 

The Vibe: The slim and sexy bi-floor, 60-seat restaurant sits in an East 58th Street townhouse that Park scored in deep pandemic (Lidia Bastianich’s Felidia used to be here). After an elegant overhaul, the space appears to straight-up glow. Best table: one of the three oversized plush booths (up to six guests) in the back.

Food and Drink: Seoul’s culture of high-end steakhouses that blend traditional Korean cookery with luxury Western ingredients guides Anto’s menu ($110 prix fixe or à la carte). Ganjang gejang (soy-marinated raw crab, flown in from Florida and drenched in a four-year-old soy sauce) lives alongside golden ossetra caviar accompanied by Korean potato fritters and sunchoke cream. The early standout for uni fans is plump Hokkaido sea urchin tongues atop wispy gamtae seaweed over warm rice. And if you like to pair old wine with old (dry-aged) steak, this is your place.

The Volume: Unlike most Korean barbecues spots, it’s not boisterous here. Korean and Japanese jazz set the tone. 

The Verdict: FOUND. Anto should become one of the city’s hottest tickets.

→ Anto • 243 East 58th Street (Midtown) • What to order: gochujang margarita, carabineros, sea urchin, golden osetra caviar, anto galbi, Seoul spicy bibim myun • When to go: Dinner only, closed Mondays • Reserve on Tock ($20 deposit per).