Dinner and a show meet dinner as a show. “I don’t want to call it a restaurant as much as a performance,” says HaSalon NYC executive chef Orianne Shapira. “The kitchen is lit up like a stage. You see ten cooks who are all dressed up and running. We want people to be excited to come here [like they would be for] a concert.”
An export from Tel Aviv, the restaurant is part of Jerusalem–born chef Eyal Shani’s global culinary empire. Known for its theatrical production and party vibes, a meal at HaSalon is a communal experience. Set in a Hell’s Kitchen space resembling a living room, with bold-patterned tiles and a mishmash of vintage furniture and decor objects, the market-driven Mediterranean menu is served family style—with flair.
“It’s colorful and fun. The food usually comes out all at once in an organized mess. The roasted fish with vegetables gets this beautiful charred color on the top; we add buttered wine sauce, flame the dish, and send it out with everyone screaming ‘fire on the floor!’” Shapira says of the dishes, each of which focuses on a single ingredient and dons cheeky names like Our Most Famous $24 Single Tomato and A Couple of Artichokes Roasted with Terrifying Fire.
