Simon Kim’s Most Ambitious Restaurant Might Not Be a Restaurant at All
By Richard Jarocki
I’ve spent years chasing great bars.
Not just famous bars.
Bars where the people behind them obsess over every detail. Places where cocktails aren’t simply mixed—they’re engineered. Where the wine list isn’t there because it has to be, but because someone genuinely loves wine. Where whiskey isn’t an afterthought sitting on a back shelf.
Over the past several years, I’ve made it a point to seek out some of the world’s most respected cocktail bars. Whether they’ve earned a place on the World’s 50 Best Bars list or built their reputation another way, the best ones all have something in common.
They know exactly what they want to be.
Some are martini bars.
Some are whiskey bars.
Some are wine destinations.
Bar Chimera asks a different question.
Why choose?
Instead of dedicating itself to one beverage program, Simon Kim and the Gracious Hospitality team built a concept around three completely different ones.
After spending an evening there, I don’t think Bar Chimera is trying to become New York’s next great cocktail bar.
I think it’s trying to redefine what a luxury bar can be.
Three Bars. One Philosophy.
Before I even ordered my first drink, the menu explained exactly what Bar Chimera wanted to be.
The Chimera is a mythical creature with three heads.
At Bar Chimera, those three heads become Martini. Whiskey. Wine.
Three completely independent beverage programs.
One room.
One philosophy.
Study.
Practice.
Repetition.
I don’t normally spend much time reading the introduction inside a menu.
This one was different.
It wasn’t trying to sell me anything.
It was explaining the philosophy behind the room I was sitting in.
After spending several hours there, I realized it wasn’t just clever writing.
Everything about Bar Chimera reflects that philosophy.
Nothing feels accidental.
Nothing feels added simply because guests expect it.
Every bottle, every drink, every detail feels intentional.
More Than a Beautiful Space
Great restaurants and bars don’t happen by accident.
The room matters.
The neighborhood matters.
The building matters.
Bar Chimera occupies the ground floor of 550 Madison Avenue, one of Manhattan’s most recognizable office towers.
Originally designed by architect Philip Johnson and completed in 1984, the building helped define the postmodern movement in architecture. After an extensive restoration, it has become one of Midtown’s most impressive addresses once again.
Walking into Bar Chimera, it’s easy to understand why Simon Kim chose this location.
The soaring ceilings immediately change the atmosphere.
Instead of feeling tucked away inside another dark cocktail bar, the room feels open.
Relaxed.
Confident.
Towering shelves display hundreds of bottles without overwhelming the space.
Warm lighting replaces the dark speakeasy aesthetic that has become almost expected in New York.
I found myself looking around the room almost as much as I looked at the menu.
That’s rare.
Most bars are designed around what happens behind the bar.
Bar Chimera feels like it was designed around the entire experience.
The architecture.
The lighting.
The service.
The beverage programs.
The food.
Everything works together.
For me, luxury isn’t defined by marble floors or expensive bottles sitting on shelves.
It’s about creating an environment where every detail feels considered.
Bar Chimera accomplishes that before your first drink ever reaches the table.
This Isn’t Just Another Cocktail Bar
I’ve visited bars where the cocktails are the entire attraction.
I’ve visited others where the wine program overshadows everything else.
I’ve been to whiskey bars where the back wall alone is enough to keep you occupied for an hour.
Bar Chimera somehow combines all three.
That’s much harder than it sounds.
Building an excellent cocktail menu is difficult.
Building one of New York’s deepest wine programs is difficult.
Building a whiskey collection that serious collectors can appreciate is difficult.
Trying to do all of them under one roof usually means something gets overlooked.
That never happened during my visit.
Every beverage program feels like it could stand on its own.
Together, they create something that doesn’t really fit into a single category.
Restaurant.
Cocktail bar.
Wine destination.
Whiskey bar.
Bar Chimera manages to be all of them.
The Martini Program
Bar Chimera takes martinis more seriously than almost anywhere I’ve visited.
The menu explains something most people never think about.
Nearly twenty-five percent of every martini is water from melting ice.
Instead of accepting whatever dilution naturally occurs, Bar Chimera filters and re-mineralizes the water used for its martini ice to achieve exactly the balance they want.
That tells you everything you need to know.
This isn’t a place trying to make a good martini.
It’s trying to perfect one.
Then comes the customization.
Different spirits.
Different vermouths.
Different garnishes.
Every decision feels intentional.
If you’re looking for something truly extravagant, the full cocktail menu includes the Vintage Vault Martini, priced at $275.
Whiskey drinkers aren’t left out either.
The Big Pappy, built around Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year, also commands a $275 price tag.
Most guests won’t order either one.
That’s not really the point.
They’re there because Bar Chimera isn’t trying to build an ordinary beverage program.
It’s building one with virtually no ceiling.
And somehow, after spending time with the martini menu, I found myself just as excited to turn the page and see the wine list.
Then Comes the Wine
Most cocktail bars have a respectable wine list.
Bar Chimera has one of the most serious wine programs in New York.
More than 50 wines by the glass.
More than 1,200 bottles.
Champagne.
Burgundy.
Bordeaux.
Piedmont.
Tuscany.
California.
Whether you’re looking for a grower Champagne, a mature Bordeaux, or a Barolo you’ve only read about, there’s a good chance it’s somewhere on this list.
Even if you never order a glass, reading through the wine program tells you what kind of establishment this is.
They aren’t trying to satisfy wine drinkers.
They’re trying to impress them.
Then I turned another page.
Madeira.
Not one bottle.
Not a small section.
An actual Madeira program featuring vintages dating back to 1835.
That’s the kind of detail most guests will never notice.
To me, it says everything.
Nobody builds a Madeira collection like that because they think it will sell every night.
They build it because they love wine.
That’s the difference.
The $95 Dinner Is Calling Me Back
One thing I appreciated is that Bar Chimera gives guests another option besides ordering everything à la carte.
For $95 per person, they offer a curated dinner that includes freshly baked salt bread with whipped honey butter, a selection of hors d’oeuvres, your choice of entrée, and sides.
Considering the quality of the kitchen and the ingredients being used throughout the menu, I actually think it’s one of the best values in the restaurant.
I wasn’t particularly hungry that evening.
Instead of committing to the full dinner, I decided to order a handful of dishes that had been on my list since Bar Chimera opened.
Looking back…
That may have been my biggest mistake.
Because after tasting what I did, I immediately started thinking about everything I wanted to come back and try.
A Dozen Oysters
Whenever I visit a restaurant that takes seafood seriously, oysters are almost always my first order.
This night was no different.
I ordered a dozen.
Six East Coast.
Six West Coast.
I’ve always enjoyed comparing the two side by side.
The East Coast oysters delivered exactly what I expected.
Bright.
Briny.
Clean.
With a firmer texture that I usually gravitate toward.
The West Coast oysters were noticeably creamier.
Slightly sweeter.
More delicate.
Neither style is better.
They’re simply different expressions of exceptional oysters.
Sometimes luxury isn’t about adding expensive ingredients.
Sometimes it’s about finding pristine ingredients and letting them speak for themselves.
Bar Chimera understands that.
The 24 Karat Golden Nuggets
Then came one of Simon Kim’s most recognizable dishes.
The 24 Karat Golden Nuggets.
Originally introduced at COQODAQ, they’ve become one of the signature dishes guests associate with his restaurants.
When you first hear the description, it almost sounds ridiculous.
Chicken nuggets.
Crème fraîche.
Caviar.
Then you take a bite.
The chicken is unbelievably crisp.
The crème fraîche adds richness without becoming heavy.
The caviar provides bursts of salinity that somehow make the entire dish work.
It’s playful.
It’s luxurious.
Most importantly…
It’s fun.
That’s something Simon Kim consistently does well.
He isn’t afraid to take familiar comfort food and elevate it, but he never loses what made it enjoyable in the first place.
I’d order them again without hesitation.
The A5 Blackjack Sandwich
Then came the dish I’d been looking forward to the most.
The A5 Blackjack Sandwich.
Kagoshima A5 Wagyu.
Périgord black truffle.
Milk bread.
Truffle aioli.
At $150, it isn’t cheap.
Nor should it be.
The obvious question is…
Is it worth it?
For me…
Absolutely.
But it also depends on what you’re looking for.
If you’re comparing it to the best steak sandwich at your local restaurant, you’ll probably never understand the price.
That’s not what this is.
You’re paying for some of the finest beef produced anywhere in the world.
Fresh Périgord black truffle.
Excellent bread.
And a kitchen with the confidence not to overcomplicate ingredients that don’t need improving.
Every bite is unbelievably rich.
The milk bread somehow manages to support the intensely marbled Wagyu without disappearing beneath it.
The truffle enhances the beef instead of competing with it.
Luxury dining isn’t always about making food more complicated.
Sometimes it’s about sourcing ingredients that are almost impossible to improve upon.
If you’ve experienced A5 Wagyu before, the price starts to make sense.
If you haven’t…
$150 for a sandwich will probably sound crazy.
Neither opinion is wrong.
I just know this…
If I walked back into Bar Chimera tomorrow…
I’d order the Blackjack Sandwich again.
Without hesitation.
That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give it.
Not because I left hungry—I didn’t.
Because after tasting what I did, I wanted to keep exploring the menu.
I wanted the charcuterie.
The crispy octopus.
The crispy mushroom fries.
The $95 Dinner at Chimera.
And another Blackjack Sandwich.
To me, that’s the sign of a great kitchen.
Not one dish that gets all the attention.
A menu that makes you want to keep coming back.
Simon Kim’s Formula
One thing I’ve noticed after visiting Simon Kim’s restaurants is that they all share the same philosophy.
Whether it’s COTE, COQODAQ, or now Bar Chimera, none of them are trying to reinvent fine dining simply to be different.
Instead, they take familiar ideas and execute them at an exceptionally high level.
A Korean steakhouse becomes the first Korean steakhouse in the United States to earn a Michelin star.
Chicken nuggets become Golden Nuggets topped with crème fraîche and caviar.
A cocktail bar becomes three completely independent beverage programs under one roof.
Nothing feels forced.
Nothing feels gimmicky.
Every concept has a clear identity.
That may sound simple, but it’s surprisingly difficult to pull off.
Too often, restaurants try to be everything to everyone and end up excelling at nothing.
Bar Chimera takes the opposite approach.
It builds three world-class beverage programs and gives each one enough attention to stand on its own.
After spending an evening there, I don’t think Bar Chimera is trying to be New York’s best martini bar.
Or its best whiskey bar.
Or its best wine bar.
It’s trying to prove those three experiences can exist together without compromising any of them.
From where I was sitting…
I think Simon Kim accomplished exactly that.
Why I’ll Be Back
The funny thing about Bar Chimera is that I never felt like I finished the experience.
I felt like I had just started it.
That’s rare.
Most restaurants give you the feeling that you’ve seen the highlights after one visit.
Bar Chimera does the opposite.
It makes you curious about what you missed.
The next time I go back, I’m doing it differently.
I’m ordering the $95 Dinner at Chimera and letting the kitchen show me more of what it can do.
I want to spend more time with the martini program.
I want to work my way through more of the wines by the glass.
I want to order the charcuterie.
The crispy octopus.
The crispy mushroom fries.
Maybe even spend a little more time exploring the whiskey program.
And yes…
I’m ordering another Blackjack Sandwich.
Without hesitation.
Some dishes live up to the hype.
Very few make you want to order them again before you’ve even left the restaurant.
The Blackjack did exactly that.
Final Thoughts
New York doesn’t need another cocktail bar.
It already has some of the best in the world.
It doesn’t need another restaurant with an impressive wine list.
Or another place with rare whiskey behind the bar.
What makes Bar Chimera interesting isn’t any one of those things by itself.
It’s the fact that all three exist together.
And none of them feel like an afterthought.
The drinks are as carefully considered as the food.
The wine program deserves as much attention as the cocktails.
The whiskey collection isn’t there simply to impress collectors.
Everything has a purpose.
Everything has an identity.
After one visit, I know I barely scratched the surface.
I sampled twelve exceptional oysters.
Tried the Golden Nuggets that have become one of Simon Kim’s signature dishes.
Ordered an A5 Blackjack Sandwich that completely justified its reputation.
Spent time admiring one of the most ambitious beverage programs I’ve seen in New York.
And left with a list of reasons to come back.
For me, that’s the highest compliment I can give Bar Chimera.
Not that it served one unforgettable meal.
Not that it made one outstanding cocktail.
But that it made me excited about the next visit before the first one was even over.
I’ll be back.
