Bar Chimera

K Kathryn Kucharski 5 reviews 13 July 2026

Amazing experience - great staff, delicious food and drinks! My first visit but will definitely be back soon!

C cherine a (cherine06) 74 reviews · Local Guide 27 June 2026

Such a vibe. Great dinner steaks and rib eye and of course ambience and drinks. Also nice touch to go downstairs after dinner for great dj instead of having to look for an after spot. They thought of it all!

P Patrick Wong 157 reviews · Local Guide 27 June 2026

TLDR: Bar Chimera is one of three concepts at 550 Madison. Think upscale brasserie with a touch of COTE. Definitely grab a salt bread and the burger with fries is great. Walking in for the bar wasn't too bad. I'm generally not in this neighborhood but i've been wanting to try the new concept from COTE aka Gracious Hospitality Management. Interesting layout but very beautiful space with these daunting 60-foot high ceilings. I sat at the bar and there is so much attention to detail like most of their restaurants. For me, the restaurant felt like an upscale brasserie with a touch of some Korean elements but restrained. Had to try a drink and grabbed a Bull and Bear which was refreshing, not too sweet and paired well with the food. The salt bread is excellent. On the smaller side but it's got that CRISPY shell that invokes a certain famous spot in Seoul. The whipped honey butter was especially good. I grabbed the hot oysters, one of each. The Rockefeller was fairly classic with cheese, a giant oyster and the spinach has been swapped with gamtae which is a seaweed native to South korea. I preferred the dynamite, equally a large oyster topped with an almost crab mixture with masago and spicy sauce. The burger was served halved and is a blend of American wagyu I was told. I believe it is a mixture of chuck, brisket and short rib. The recommended temperature was medium so not quite as chewy but a lot of rendered fat in the middle keeping it juicy yet not too messy. There is a peppercorn mustard which balances out the richness with the white onion and a restrained slice of cheese melted on top. Mustard aside, it did remind me a bit of the Red Hook Tavern burger. The beef tallow fries were nice and hot, airy, crispy and I appreciate I get something other than ketchup with them. Tried the croquembouche which was fantastic. The hardened caramel gave a bit of crunch with the jasmine cream oozing out. The bar menu is shorter than the full dinner one, I'll be back to try out the rest of the items though.

B Betsy Cohen 26 reviews · Local Guide 8 June 2026

Simon Kim has done it again, and this time the bar — literally — has been raised. Bar Chimera is Simon Kim's most layered restaurant yet — three distinct bars (wine, martini, and whiskey) sharing one space in a way that actually makes sense. The wine bar catches you on the way to check in, thoughtfully arranged with bottle placement that works with the color scheme. A giant pine tree sits between the martini and whiskey bars, naturally creating separation while adding an elegance and simplicity you don't expect. The martini bar is pure ice — clear bottles reflecting light off mirrored surfaces in a way that's genuinely magnificent. The whiskey bar wraps you in deep amber warmth. The $95 prix fixe is a serious value. The evening opens with a progression of shared hors d'oeuvres — Wagyu bresaola, gildas, crispy octopus with ganjung aioli, and crudo — but the surprising star of the table was the spring pea lettuce wraps, bursting with freshness and flavor. The foie gras balls were perfection: decadent but balanced, wrapped in a crust that holds everything together for one ideal bite. From there, you choose your main — chicken paillard, the 550 Burger, steak, or fish. I ordered the burger and genuinely could not stop eating it. The tallow fries are non-negotiable. Two nights prior, we'd dined at COQODAQ, where Simon himself told us not to leave Bar Chimera without having a martini. He was right. Mine hit every botanical note I wanted, and the blue cheese stuffed olives are exactly what a great martini deserves. Salt bread is still having its moment in NYC, and Simon's version is the best our table has tried. The whipped honey butter melts into it in perfect harmony — don't skip it. Unlike Simon's other restaurants where soft serve is included in the prix fixe, Bar Chimera offers a full dessert menu — and tea lovers are going to lose their minds. Every dessert incorporates a different tea element in the most unexpected, delightful ways. A special shoutout to Wesley, Jessica, Liv, Matt and Sara — service like theirs is exactly why people keep coming back to Simon Kim restaurants. Saturday night was one of those dinners you're still talking about on Monday morning. Bar Chimera earns every bit of the buzz.

C CJ Redfern 238 reviews · Local Guide 29 May 2026

The service was amazing!!! Such great staff! Chicken paillard was delicious, as was the corn dogs. My biggest complaint was that the caviar chicken nuggets were disappointing... The caviar was warm. The chicken nuggets should be hot. The caviar should not... The caviar on top should be fresh and cold. I think it was just sitting on the nugget too long.