Eating at Michelin Starred Estela. NYC. Is this World’s 50 Best Restaurant Worthy of its Praise?

I eat at and review Estela, a Michelin starred restaurant in the Nolita neighborhood of New York City. The restaurant was started by Chef Ignacio Mattos who serves a menu of small plates with Mediterranean and contemporary influences. In 2016, the restaurant was even ranked on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Estela came in at number 44. I also consider whether Estela deserves to be listed among the world’s greatest restaurants.
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About Me: I live in NYC and I’m about food, travel and work.

Пікірлер: 116

  • @54diggerdown
    @54diggerdown2 күн бұрын

    Great production values. I like how you seem to give honest reviews. You can poiny6out the few negatives but enjoy the whole experience.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    2 күн бұрын

    Thank you! Yeah, I always try to appreciate the experience for what it is, even if it isn't perfect.

  • @fkcoolers2669
    @fkcoolers26699 күн бұрын

    Haha... I was watching the endive portion thinking the same thing the waiter ended up saying. This place looks great.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 күн бұрын

    Yeah, it's definitely an interesting restaurant.

  • @JHoisin
    @JHoisin10 ай бұрын

    Love your content man! Great footage paired with perfect commentary

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you! I really appreciate it! I always try to put a good effort in.

  • @alisachamoy225
    @alisachamoy2259 ай бұрын

    Very thorough, transparent and helpful review - glad you enjoyed the room and survived the plant in your way.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    Haha! Thank you! I can put up with an intrusive plant for good food!

  • @2Wheels_NYC
    @2Wheels_NYC10 ай бұрын

    Another nice review, James. I noticed they also have a lunch menu, maybe I'd start with that one day and get a feel. Thanks as always!

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you! Yeah, their lunch menu looks pretty solid and contains the majority of their most famous dishes.

  • @tomahern8967
    @tomahern896710 ай бұрын

    Great video! The food looks terrific! Thanks for sharing.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you! Indeed! It was a tasty dinner!

  • @PatriciaRoggero
    @PatriciaRoggero10 ай бұрын

    Love your reviews thank you for sharing

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much! And thank you always for watching!

  • @patriciarogers9592
    @patriciarogers959210 ай бұрын

    I always enjoy your photography if both the food and the neighborhood the restaurant is located in.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you! I really appreciate it!

  • @LMays-cu2hp
    @LMays-cu2hp9 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing your restaurant tour.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @SwanseaBoi
    @SwanseaBoi10 ай бұрын

    Never seen a bramble bush used for interior design - very avant-garde! Jokes aside, another great vid.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Haha! Thank you! It was a nice looking plant, it just wasn't nice from where I was sitting. Haha!

  • @eddie5152
    @eddie515228 күн бұрын

    Any restaurant that has a squid ink dish on their menu has a spot in my heart

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    28 күн бұрын

    Same here!

  • @TheGuyWhoMoabedYou
    @TheGuyWhoMoabedYou5 ай бұрын

    Really enjoying your channel. I fully expect your sub count to continue to grow. Keep it up man! If you ever find some great restruants in the midwest(kansas specifically) lmk!!

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much! I really appreciate the support!

  • @MarkO-vi7cp
    @MarkO-vi7cp2 ай бұрын

    James, I have to say this is one of my favorite restaurants that you have reviewed.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    2 ай бұрын

    Nice! Yeah, it's definitely a good place!

  • @kevindick1110
    @kevindick11107 ай бұрын

    Not exactly sure how your channel popped into my recommendation list. I watched the video and then a couple others and all I can say it, keep up the good work! Any plans on reviewing Sparks or Gallaghers?

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    7 ай бұрын

    Thank you! I really appreciate it! Yeah, Gallaghers is definitely a spot that I hope to visit soon.

  • @markmower6507
    @markmower650719 күн бұрын

    Well, some of those dishes seemed very expensive. But I have cooked in restaurants for years and I like the direction they are going with the flavours anyway...

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    18 күн бұрын

    It was definitely costly, but it was delicious food.

  • @m.c.fromnyc2187
    @m.c.fromnyc21876 ай бұрын

    Nice review and commentary.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    6 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much!

  • @patrickwong4824
    @patrickwong482410 ай бұрын

    Telling my dinner partner to go to Hell because I refuse to share my food.😂 This would be a quick end to my date.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Haha! Maybe that's why my dates don't last that long. Lol

  • @srujanmims
    @srujanmims6 ай бұрын

    Happy New Year 🎉

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    6 ай бұрын

    Happy New Year!

  • @genoendicott
    @genoendicott3 ай бұрын

    My fav resturant in NYC, their Arroz Negro is in my top 5 best dishes ever.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    3 ай бұрын

    That's a great dish for sure!

  • @jamesmckenzie9156
    @jamesmckenzie915610 ай бұрын

    The food looks delicious. I need to check out Estela. You should invite me next time 😎

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Yeah, in regards to presentation, the food looked beautiful, but luckily it also delivered on flavor!

  • @RyanCoomer
    @RyanCoomer10 ай бұрын

    jesus you need more subs and loves dude. your content is fucking amazing!!!!!! keep going!!!!!!

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much! I really appreciate the support! And I'm going to keep on pushing!

  • @eturbo97
    @eturbo9710 ай бұрын

    Estela is my favorite restaurant in NYC and not super hard to get a last minute res. It is however, a very loud restaurant and not a vibe in that sense that you would expect from a Michelin star spot

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    I know what you mean. It got loud pretty quickly in there. As a single diner, I didn't mind it, but if I was with someone, I could see it becoming a problem. Still, the food is the most important aspect of a restaurant to me and I really enjoyed that aspect.

  • @mrmaton66
    @mrmaton6610 ай бұрын

    Next on my bucket list. Nice watch though.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you! Estela is certainly a solid spot!

  • @empyrean196
    @empyrean1969 ай бұрын

    His bill was surprisingly cheaper than I expected. Lol. Not a bad price for one person to treat themself.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    Yeah, there are definitely more expensive one Michelin Starred restaurants in NYC.

  • @borispeper6981
    @borispeper698110 ай бұрын

    Jeeez that is one huge branch man🤣Food looks good tho👌

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Haha! Yeah, it was a sizeable plant! Indeed! The food was beautiful!

  • @yugao23
    @yugao239 ай бұрын

    Can you check out Butter NYC? Alex Guarnschelli Iron chef restaurant?

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    I've always been curious about that restaurant. I'll try to check it out sometime. Thanks for the suggestion!

  • @wallacekwan5012
    @wallacekwan50129 ай бұрын

    Im gonna go just to experience the plant.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    Haha!

  • @jasonfong7085
    @jasonfong70858 ай бұрын

    One of my favorite restaurants in the city. The food is always delicious. The food looks simple, but is anything but. It is for sure a really loud and tight restaurant and at times, not very comfortable, but they make it up with their food, wine and service.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    8 ай бұрын

    Indeed! It's nice to have a good atmosphere in a restaurant, but I go to restaurants first and foremost for their food and Estella serves good food!

  • @Ali-kj9zs
    @Ali-kj9zs10 ай бұрын

    Mr James hi & good times 🫖🍎🍉🥐🥖🍲🍦🍨☕️☕️☕️☕️

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Hi there, and thank you!

  • @s_przybylowicz
    @s_przybylowicz10 ай бұрын

    It's always nice to be surrounded by nature, but maybe not that close. I'm glad your dinner was still pretty good at least.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Yeah, but that plant was an imitation of nature. Still, the food was good!

  • @IvesHandle
    @IvesHandle10 ай бұрын

    I could eat 4 of those plates.. too expensive but looks good. Needs more food on the plate

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    I know what you mean! Things add up quickly at that restaurant.

  • @mariocampodonico8590
    @mariocampodonico85906 ай бұрын

    Agree. I went to Estela and wasn't impressed, it was good but that's it.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    6 ай бұрын

    I know what you mean.

  • @mrn13
    @mrn1310 ай бұрын

    Hey, great review! I completely agree with questioning the criterias of the best 50, but more than that I question the Michelin star for this restaurant! Looks very underwhelming and cheap - if its a Western/Euro place Michelin star- the bread and butter shall normally be included...May I also request that you put the prices of each dish as they are shown, and maybe also the final bill? I think that would add great value to the content! Greetings

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Thank you! Yeah, it annoys me when the bread is not included with the meal, but I also understand the restaurant's perspective in that if one doesn't care for bread or eat all of it, it's kind of a waste. Indeed! I'll try to include pricing more with my future videos.

  • @brianbergman1454
    @brianbergman145410 ай бұрын

    I agree ,how can that be one of the World's greatest restaurants ,it was nice but not brilliant

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Exactly!

  • @curly6619
    @curly66197 ай бұрын

    I would have asked them to move that bush for the amount of money you're paying.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    7 ай бұрын

    I should've. It was pretty annoying.

  • @enneth8435
    @enneth843510 ай бұрын

    based

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @scott-vo4dy
    @scott-vo4dy8 ай бұрын

    James, Did you ask the bartender or hostess to modify the decorative floral arrangement after being seated at the best bar seat in the place? I'm fairly certain that the staff would have gladly removed the decorative flower arrangement for you if they knew it was an issue.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    8 ай бұрын

    I'm not sure they would. It's a pretty big plant and it would've taken some effort to move. From what I can tell, the plant is still there in the restaurant, which is surprising since pretty much anyone sitting there will have the same problem I had.

  • @markkao9954
    @markkao995410 ай бұрын

    Price doesn’t seem that bad

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Yeah, compared to the price of other one Michelin Starred restaurants in NYC, it's not bad depending on what you order.

  • @opheliaronin
    @opheliaronin9 ай бұрын

    That was not enough food for the money. No way in hell you could share any of that! Especially the rice dish was super disappointing in looks and not exactly a bounty. I’d rather go to Papaya King.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    Haha! You can't go wrong with Papaya King! Yeah, certain plates are more difficult to share than others. If I was with someone else and we were sharing, we would have to get twice the number of plates just to be adequately full and that would be pretty expensive.

  • @keeperzero
    @keeperzero9 ай бұрын

    I think Applebee's is better

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    Haha! There's nothing wrong with Applebee's.

  • @benedettomansueto4016

    @benedettomansueto4016

    20 күн бұрын

    ​@@JamesnuApplebee's has $2 two dollar pints Samuel Adams Boston Lager

  • @benedettomansueto4016

    @benedettomansueto4016

    20 күн бұрын

    Applebee's #1

  • @markmower6507

    @markmower6507

    19 күн бұрын

    One thing is for Certain. You will come out of Applebee's with a Lot more 💰 Money left in your Wallet! Hahahahahahahaha 😂!!!

  • @markmower6507

    @markmower6507

    19 күн бұрын

    Waffle House, Double Order of Hash browns, Scattered Smothered Chunked Diced Covered Topped and Capped. With half a bottle of Tabasco Sauce on top and A-1 Sauce and Heinz 57 Sauce...

  • @saltandpepper986
    @saltandpepper98610 ай бұрын

    That is pretty, even if artificial, bramble. Too bad it’s so poorly placed and/or arranged for where it’s situated. It’s so close to your head when you’re chatting with the staff! How are they not noticing and immediately pulling out a pruning er, kitchen shears! Ack!

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Exactly! And it's not like I'm extremely tall either. Most adults would have a problem with it.

  • @0530evan
    @0530evan10 ай бұрын

    i was not impressed by the food.......not go back when i am in NYC......

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    10 ай бұрын

    Fair enough. I enjoyed the food, but I also prefer stronger flavors and a lot of Estela's food was on the subtle side.

  • @0530evan

    @0530evan

    10 ай бұрын

    i agree with you.....i prefer sort of stronger sauces/etc and flavors@@Jamesnu

  • @g-bgcg
    @g-bgcg4 ай бұрын

    It was unacceptable to expect you to dine with that gigantic plant in your face…especially when the server came over and you could barely see him. You could have asked the server if he could bring hedge trimmers with your silverware. OR you could have been dramatic and held the plant back with your arm in order to talk to him. There was definitely some comedic material that I would have taken advantage of.

  • @mistergrendel32

    @mistergrendel32

    Ай бұрын

    Good call.

  • @jenniferrollison4377
    @jenniferrollison4377Ай бұрын

    That you think Michelin is the only benchmark for restos is absurd. Many, many restos are not on the Michelin list but are extraordinary nonetheless. Why would you tie your expectations to Michelin??????????????? And, your choice of seating is your own fault. Dude, sitting under a plant is your fault...especially when you had a choice.

  • @markmower6507

    @markmower6507

    19 күн бұрын

    Right 👍. "They sat me inside a fake plant, and I just decided to stay planted there for the Entire Evening." What's Up With That?! Hahahahahahahaha 😂!!!

  • @fakesandy
    @fakesandy9 ай бұрын

    Call me crazy, but when a tire company awards “stars” for restaurants, it’s incredibly sus. Not to mention France has the most restaurants with 3 Michelin stars, all awarded from a company based in France. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know this rating system is incredibly biased and outdated.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    It's definitely not a perfect system and I don't think anyone would always agree with how they give out stars, I certainly don't, but it does bring to light so amazing restaurants creating incredible food.

  • @mosmarb

    @mosmarb

    9 ай бұрын

    Japan has more ***s than France. I'd agree that for a long time there was a clear bias towards French food but that has been softening for years now, though you might argue that it's now a bias towards French AND Japanese food! I entirely agree with James that, while it's by no means perfect, it does do a job of highlighting restaurants creating ambitious and interesting food. I've been to more than 50 restaurants with stars and only two of them I felt didn't deserve a star at all.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    @@mosmarb That's true. Although Japan has a far larger population than France, which would account for more restaurants. Indeed, the guide does seem to be evolving in regards to its most awarded restaurants, but I also think it's partly a reflection of how certain cuisines have been pushed forward such as Korean food, which has really made a mark in the last decade with numerous Korean restaurants achieving stars. Still, no matter what, the Michelin Guide will never be perfect, but I appreciate what it does.

  • @mosmarb

    @mosmarb

    9 ай бұрын

    @@Jamesnu I think one of the best things to happen to the guide in the last ten or fifteen years is the realisation that they no longer exist in isolation and can't only award stars to french restaurants with tasting menus. Interesting that you mention Korean food - it's been much slower to catch on in the UK than in the US but the most interesting restaurant I've been to this year is Sollip in London, a restaurant owned and run by two Korean chefs cooking in a French style but with Korean ingredients and techniques. Highly recommended if you find your way across the pond. What we do have a lot of now are Indian restaurants with stars, all quite different from each other. Again, worth a visit if you're in London.

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    9 ай бұрын

    @@mosmarb Exactly! There's a great variety of food in the world that extends well beyond French cuisine. Unfortunately, the Indian restaurants here don't seem to be up to the level as in the UK. There's currently only one starred Indian restaurant in NYC, in fact, I'll be uploaded a video about the restaurant soon. The good thing is, is that I think people are becoming more openminded and adventurous these days about food which allow various fine dining restaurants of different cultures to become more appreciated.

  • @8ballandroid
    @8ballandroid5 ай бұрын

    You put too much emphasis in the Michelin guide. Michelin doesn’t operate in all the cities. does that mean that there aren’t any good restauants in other cities? Central, in Lima, Peru is considered one of the best in the world, but since Michelin doesn’t operate in Lima, it has no stars. Broaden your horizons

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    5 ай бұрын

    I don't think you were paying attention, because like I said in the video, the one thing I appreciated about the World's 50 Best List is that they highlight numerous areas that aren't yet covered by the Michelin Guide.

  • @shazzammotherfcukers
    @shazzammotherfcukers8 ай бұрын

    @5:04 Whenever I ask my girl to share her food

  • @Jamesnu

    @Jamesnu

    8 ай бұрын

    Haha!

  • @Dan-oo1tm
    @Dan-oo1tm7 ай бұрын

    Pretentious much?

  • @yerfdoGnimajneB

    @yerfdoGnimajneB

    2 ай бұрын

    Quite the opposite I think actually. He’s reviewing a restaurant. If he left out all the small things then it wouldn’t be a review. The whole point is to find all the small things that are an issue or could be an issue for somebody. Sounds like you’re a bit pretentious to me.

  • @markmower6507

    @markmower6507

    19 күн бұрын

    I am 🤔 thinking Pretentious and Vain. Probably thinks that the Song is About Him...

  • @zhiyuanshen7014
    @zhiyuanshen70148 ай бұрын

    its a shiitttyyy place

  • @jenniferrollison4377
    @jenniferrollison4377Ай бұрын

    after watching the entire vid, I did not see that plant in your face...Who are you to critique a restaurant of this caiiber???? What are your culinary accolades? so pedestrian....

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