Contra Reviews

We had heard about the creative cuisine and very much enjoyed the opportunity to experience it. While the ambiance and decor were not ravishing, the food was excellent and creative. We would welcome returning.

The tasting menu is fabulous. I never had swordfish this well prepared. Ever. Every dish is special, and delicious. We didn't do the wine paring, but tried a few wines. All natural, and really nice too. Oh and did I mention that the staff was great as well? What are you waiting for?

There is no denying that the food at contra is well-thought out, well constructed and pleasing to the eye but the effort gone into making the restaurant come across as 'effortless' just blurred Contra into the band of yet another concept pop-up. The service was friendly and the food was of course delicious however, with only the tasting menu to choose from it was a surprise to hear that they had run out of the only additional item on the menu (apart from a cheese course) - bread. Surely running out of bread on a friday night at 9pm is a bit of a sin in any restaurant, let alone one which has few ingredients on their shopping list as it is? This wouldn't have been such an issue had it not been for the lead-footed pace at which the courses revealed themselves. We waited 25mins between the first and second course, 20mins between the 2nd and 3rd but the wait was well worth it by the climax of the tasting menu and dessert was quite possibly the best dessert I believe I have ever had. Then again, due to the lack of anything else to choose from, I had sipped through 5 glasses of Cava by that point ... Would absolutely recommend this as a cheap and interesting night out but make sure you don't have to rush off anywhere too soon (and perhaps bring a snack just in case).

Collaborative meal with Chef Hasegawa was a culinary treat. The "new" Japanese food paired well with Jorge's selection of natural wines. Stellar ris de veau preparation.

Six course tasting menu was very nice. Service was prompt and efficient. Nice decor, interesting to see the chefs working in the kitchen.

We dined at Contra for the second time during our latest trip to New York (April, 2015). Our first time we adored Contra and happily our second experience was equally satisfying. This is the place to come for locally sourced food that is brilliantly conceived and perfectly executed. The tasting menu is simply superb and the wine pairings were quite adventuresome but perfectly matched the food. We look forward to coming back and enjoying outstanding food.

Was recommended by a gourmand friend of mine - and certainly not disappointed. Two set menus to choose from - we chose the big one - and even added cheese platter. Fantastic atmosphere - realy NYC vibe (which was what we were looking for). Service was informal - but fantastic. Food was great - loads of delicious treats. Everything was prepared perfectly and dishes were very coordinated and innovative - and above all delicious!! Would warmly recommend!

Went there to celebrate a birthday and had an amazing meal. Had the full menu and wine pairing, which can be recommended.

Excellent food on a reasonable tasting menu (more of a prix fixe in terms of courses). Every dish was on-point with the except of the one of the desserts which bordered on generic. Would absolutely go back again when they change the menu.

I've dined at Contra about 10 times in the past 6 months. No it's not near my apartment; it's actually pretty far away, but the food is terrific so it's definitely worth the trip! 7 course tasting menu for $67 is the best value. Food is delicious and creative; menu changes very often so every time I go to Contra, there are always new dishes to try. Service is very friendly and attentive. It is a "set menu" (no choices), but I've loved everything! Definitely order the bread for $3! Casual setting.

Relaxed casual dining experience with attentive personable staff promised good things, then the food arrived. We understand natural Nordic style cooking, one of our favourite destinations is Sweden but this was just lacking in flavours. Highlights were the sourdough bread/passion fruit dessert and the halibut. Lowlights, the 'plate of cheese' which was a plate of grated cheese, I get the concept but it needs to be explained to the diner(expectations are pretty key). Re the wine list, fairly eclectic but to not have Sauvignon Blanc is something I have never experienced.

A barren but modern interior with hard surfaces so the sound level is very high. This is well compnsated by very good and well presented food. The finale with this burger like creation is one of the best beserts I have ever tasted

I ended up at Contra almost by default, not being able to get a reservation at my first 4 choices. I was in the city for the first time in several years and surprised by how vibrant the Lower East Side had become. Contra is not one of New York's grander restaurants; it's pretty basic, but its attractiveness is enhanced by an exposed brick wall. The tasting menu changes nightly, and 6 items are served. On the night I was at Contra, scallop, nasturtium and leche de tigre was a course as was hake, fennel and matcha. The last 2 tastings are desserts. The service, led by my primary server Reid and the Maître D' Jonny, was very attentive. A couple of the courses were served by others; each creation was explained when served. And Jonny was nice enough to bring me a free wine pairing for one of them. As it turned out, not being able to get a reservation at my top choices saved me a fair amount of money. The price for the tasting dinner at Contra was $67, a comparative bargain in New York.

Perhaps the evening was compromised by the presence of a very large party whose arrival meant a change to an earlier reservation and some added noise, but we couldn't really get a handle on the food. It was well prepared and had thought in the flavour profile, but wasn't actually memorable. Wine was interesting and staff, even when overworked were attentive. Reminded us of Bar Tartine in San Francisco

One of the first returns to familiar places after a year of forced seclusion. Contra was one of my favs before the pandemic, so it was absolutely gratifying to find that they did not lose a bit of their flair, Not only food was exceptional but also service was above current NYC standards.My friends and i felt very much taken care of and we were guided to the right choices. BRAVISSIMO

This place is so lovely! GREAT food amazing wine list , super friendly staff. Enjoyed every minute of it. Would definitely recommend. They just opened a new restaurant called una pizza napoletana which is UNREAL ( on the same street )

Dinner at Contra is a pre-fix menu and cost. It was an adventure for us to be open to whatever the chef prepared. We started with a cocktail - gin and tonic. I was skeptical since this type of drink in not one I would normally get but it was wonderful and refreshing! The bread and butter were amazing. We knew at this point that this meal was going to be a real treat! Each dish is small in size but overall the total quantity of the dinner was just enough to satisfy. We felt the seafood dishes were our favorite and perfectly prepared. The beef did not seem to have as much flavor to us. The server described each dish as it was presented and just the description created an eager anticipation. It was a wonderful experience and we left amazed at the creativeness of the chef. Although the prefix price has increased, we felt this was still a very good value considering other restaurants charge a lot more.

The food itself is great but Contra is a stressful place to eat. (Like a lot of other places in NYC these days.) It took us 75 minutes from we arrived to we left and in between we ate a five course menu and drank a bottle of wine. That leaves too little time for digestion, contemplation and general enjoyment. Some of the dishes seamed rushed too - or not completely finished - like a work in progress. Nevertheless the dishes combined some interesting flavours and were cooked to perfection. And five courses for $55 (bread $3 extra) is a steal. Go if you can.

We think Contra has the best food in the city! It was a flawless meal. And make sure you try the bread! We appreciate the experience and only wish we could give it ten stars! do wish the acoustics were better. can be very noisy. a more extensive wine by the glass menu would be helpful.

Who knew?? Tiny place in the LES and probably one of the best dinner I've had in a very long long time. We had to get reservations two weeks prior, arrived on time. The place was empty but filled up pretty quickly. I really like the music, punk, rock, eclectic, alternative and nicely loud. I think it was $65 for the fixed menu which we added the bread and the cheese and the matching wine menu. Only the crab dish was a bit salty to me, but other than that no need for salt/pepper shakers, everything tasted perfect. Small portions, nothing too crazy so you don't end up overeating. I have to command the sommelier with the nice matching wine selection for only $55. It was great to taste some rose, sparkling, red, dessert wines mostly from the old world. Did I mention the music??? What a difference it makes when it is not only background noise. Thank you, we will be back.

This little gem of a restaurant is entered through an unmarked doorway that looks like you are going into a bar - go in! The restaurant is in the back. Fresh, original, inspired combinations of spices and ingredients await to delight your palette and confound your expectations. We will be back! Must book 2 weeks in advance - they sell out quickly - but it is worth the trouble!

contra tells you right up front that you're going to have a chef's menu of five courses--there is no a la carte table service, so put yourselves in their hands and hold on. . .the results are phenomenal. your only options are adding a cheese course and a bread course. we opted for both and got a nice boule of lahey-style no-knead densely crusted with roasted seeds and full of flavour. it was accompanied by a wonderful whipped butter and lardo spread. the particular menu we received on our visit happened to be the one featured on their website, although they claim to be seasonally influenced. as an ingredients focused menu, each dish mated together disparate intense flavours and perfectly cooked textures. the scallop dish in particular was sensational, with a crisp sear on the outside of each mollusk, and a buttery consistency. after 3 adept courses, we were presented with a smoked gouda cheese course, adorned with a small pot of wild honey--fabulous. . .the final two dishes were desserts, each matching sweet and savoury with flair. wonderful meal, but two caveats--service is quite leisurely (perfect if you're out for a social evening, not so good if you're pre-show, so definitely let the servers know), and perhaps more importantly, the room is loud. . .very loud.

Dining alone and would have preferred a bar seat but was given the next best-table next to the bar. As usual, everyone was very helpful and kind. I've never had a bad experience here. The food was absolutely delicious-not a single complaint. I even joined the clean plate club. Liked it enough to actually make a reservation for next weekend (10 years living in NYC have made less than 5 reservations for dinner and only when parents in town). Thank you. Looking forward to next Saturday.

We just had a great dinner at Contra and absolutely loved it! It was our anniversary so we were welcomed with a glass of bubbly - always a nice touch. We opened not to go for the carte blanche menu (my husband draws a line at 4 courses and this was 6) so instead we ordered a la carte and everything was great! We had tofu with caviar, crudo (one of my faves), Jonas Crab (really good!), mushroom tart (super yummy) and a steak. Everything was delicious! I was too full for dessert so we did not have any but they did look pretty good. Definitely a solid choice for dinner on LES!

Terrific cooking: creative and tasty, at exceptional prices: $55 for five courses. It is just enough food, not overwhelming. The service is also superb. I can say that you will find no better value in NYC. This is not a restaurant with atmosphere, the focus is on the cooking -- which is fine. The restaurant is pleasant and the tables are not too cramped. When we entered the restaurant we were escorted to our table instantly and were not kept waiting. Contra is one of the best restaurants to open in 2014.

We came here for a late Valentines Day dinner a few days after Valentines Day. The dinner started off very well and we thought it was going to be a great nights. We even decided to order a bottle of wine to share. This is where it started going downhill. We had two tables next to us (one was already there and another arrived at the same time as us) and we noticed that both tables received an appetizer (some sort of prawn) that was not on the menu as a "pre-appetizer" which was not listed on the menu. We received the same prawn moments later and began our tasting menu. The food was a little underwhelming and the portions were on the smaller side. However, that is not where the main issues were. Towards the end, we noticed that both tables next to us were served some sort of complimentary dessert addition, in addition to the last dessert course on the menu. Upon arrival of our last dessert, we were not offered this last extra dessert that both tables had gotten, which left us disappointed. In addition, I left feeling a bit cheated on the wine bottle. The wine bottle was not kept at our table and was kept off to the side, not allowing us to tell how much is left. Both me and my girlfriend had 2 glasses of wine from that bottle (glasses were on the smaller side). I was very amazed when the server took my wine glass off the table, only after having 2 glasses (reminder again, these were on the smaller side). I discussed this with my girlfriend afterwards, and she told me that she saw that the wine bottle was not empty upon her last glass refill. Again, it's a lesson learned for me to ask for the bottle to be left on the table next time, however I am very disappointed in the experience. If you want to get cheated on your wine bottle and not receive the same treatment/food as the tables next to you, this is the place for you! Safe to say we will not be returning here again.

We had wonderful food, great service, and topped off with an interesting wine list, this was a great evening! We will go back next time we are in NYC.

Book early as it's a small place that was packed out. The atmosphere was buzzing and pleasant. Staff were welcoming and worked well in the crowded space. The food was delicious. Great ingredients enhanced with technique and flavour. The matched wines were also very good and enhanced the food experience. The meal was fantastic and is great value for a tasting menu in NYC. Highly recommended!

Contra provides a unique experience: every evening there is a single tasting menu with no choices. This allows them to procure the finest ingredients and perfect a balanced, progressive meal that excites the palate and is adventurous and fulfilling. I've been to Contra twice now, and both times found myself reveling in the flavors, novel dishes, the beauty of how the meal unfolded. The service is attentive without being intrusive, and the wine list is fair and unusual. A really great place for foodies!

The restaurant is gastronomic, well presented, good and fresh food, exceptional wine list. But, we asked for a wine matching with our food, and only the first dessert was matching with the wine... The server gave a glass of our bottle to an another customer for trying without asking us ! The first entry was burnt, I asked for change, but it was the purpose according to the staff... The pricing is gastronomic, but quality is not there yet !

Apparently, this place has reopened after some make-over? Anyhow, we went, and we had very good cocktails. Especially the Saltair with Umeboshi was totally fantastic. I would so much love to be able to make that myself! 🙄

Can't say enough about this restaurant. It's prix fixe, with a simple menu. Our evening, it read: "Persimmon, Swordfish, and Hangar Steak." All delicious. A great list of wines and dessert wines to go with. This is not your elegant linen tablecloth kind of place. It's rather simple, but fabulous!

We made the trip downtown because the restaurant was mentioned in a NY Times list of places with reasonable wine. We were originally only going to order a glass of wine in addition to the bread and cheese at the bar. It was so extraordinary that we decided to order the very reasonable prix fixe dinner. The food was innovative enough to be surprising and exciting without being strange. The courses were extremely well thought out, harmonious and perfectly prepared. I applaud the fact that they have one choice of a 5 course dinner. This is so much better than the practice of having many choices on the menu but serving food that seems stale, ordinary and canned. The restaurant was not in a pretty neighborhood. The decor is modern and minimalist. The restaurant was packed with customers on a Tuesday night. Once you sit down and start eating nothing else matters. The woman bartender fit in perfectly with the hip intelligent vibe pervading the place. The service was excellent. We have had dinners that were 6 times as expensive where the chef tried and failed to deliver the experience that we had at Contra. If you are the type who needs to have a side of cheesy fries to be happy then don't come here. However, for someone who loves to cook, or loves to eat real food this is heaven.

Our meal at Contra in early March was the best meal we had in NYC that trip. So, we returned when we were back in NY in late April. A great prix fix menu and excellent wine pairings. This is our "go-to" place for great food in NY now.

Expected à spécial expérience but not in that sense. Meals are créative but no thing exceptional, very good service busy be noticed. Large sélection of bad French Wine. 250$ for 2 is far too expensive for a smart marketing.

The restaurant offers a seasonal tasting menu for the great price of $89. There is an open kitchen where you can see the chefs cooking to order, the food was delicious and the restaurant had a buzz about it. The service however does need some attention, there was at least a 20 minute wait between each course which is a little too much. Also maybe allocate one waiter to work a certain section of the restaurant rather than different ones bringing each course.

It's in a great part of town, the restaurant is nice and urban, the staff are great and the food is interesting while also being tasty.

We were a party of five seated next to the kitchen, great place to watch your meal cooked, prepared and delivered. The menu is set, no choices, and none were needed, everything was outstanding. Our server was responsible for Contra's wine list, and suggested wines for each course. His recommendations were flawless, as was his service. All wine is organic and great attention is made to the quality and pricing, very fair. Every course was better than the last. You will not be disappointed.

My wife and I read about Contra. The staff and servers were great. They serve a tasting menu. I did not like all the courses but they were all interesting and different. If you are up for an adventure Contra just might be for you.

Finding Contra you need more than a gps as it's hidden away in full view. The entrance is very understated to say the least. But once inside? Wow. Fabulous service great atmosphere and food that is out of this world. Maybe it was a portal after all. The food is modern American with a focus on fresh seasonal produce. We will remember this for the next 30 years. Do yourself a favour- book

This place is amazing. Second visit was as impressive as the first. The kitchen is creative and inventive. The food is remarkably prepared - things you would never think to pair are paired to great effect. Service is outstanding - vibe is very welcoming. There is not a better deal in NYC - without a doubt. It would be a great value at twice the price.

My spouse and I visited Contra for dinner on a Saturday evening in mid-January 2020. Contra is open for dinner on Tuesdays through Saturdays (closed Sundays and Mondays). Patrons can book a table about 3 weeks in advance using the online RESY reservation system. Contra opened in October 2013 on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side. It occupies a storefront amidst shops and other restaurants (including neighborhood sister Wildair). The restaurant exterior is rather non-descript; we passed by twice before finally noticing it. The long narrow space includes a 6-seat L-shaped bar at the front (walk-in patrons can order the full dinner menu or an abbreviated 3-course bar menu), closely spaced wood tables (some of which share a wooden banquette on one side) that line two sides of the walls in the main dining area, and the kitchen at the rear. Contra serves only a tasting menu of 7 courses for $89; there are no a la carte options available other than a supplementary $13 cheese course (which was different than any other cheese course we have had). Guests can also choose a $69 beverage pairing (wine only) to accompany their meal; however, a full bar is available if you prefer to make your own selections. Our seven courses follow; we also received an amuse bouche (which was a sort of crisp cracker dotted with flavors) before our first course, as well as a freshly baked tiny loaf of bread with yummy butter served between the first and second courses: 1. Spigarello (leafy greens) with sorrel and seaweed (we did not particularly care for this course) 2. Tofu with dashi broth and caviar (this was our second favorite course) 3. Uni, kale, squash (we did not love this course, and visually, it reminded us a bit of the first course because of the kale) 4. Cod, olive, Brussel sprouts (our third favorite course) 5. Beef, radish, tomatillo (this was our favorite course) 6. Optional cheese course (this was memorable, and different than most, with shaved cheese covering something like figs) 7. Carolina gold rice, blood orange (tasty, but the pinkish color was a bit off-putting) 8. Elderflower, cream, pistachio (delicious!) We enjoyed our dinner at Contra; the food, service, and atmosphere made for a pleasant evening.

I've been wanting to try Contra for a while. Came once before but had to leave before being able to try anything. The price is reasonable and supposed to be a creative menu. I was generally underwhelmed. The bread was very good. Beyond that, nothing really stood out. All fine food just not impressive. Desserts were better than the savory dishes.

This is the kind of restaurant that I'd prefer to just keep to myself. It's what a restaurant should be. Splendid food, great professional service all around and a wine list deserving of their wonderful creative cuisine. Speaking of which, it was seasonal, modern in a fitting low key fashion. We had the 5 course prix fixe menu aka the tasting menu, which I highly recommend. Each course was a melody of flavors. All culminating in a magnificent symphony.

Set menu is a good value. Great staff, very helpful. The majority of the menu was superb, one miss and one base hit the night I was there, but for six courses, that gets you in the hall of fame. I enjoyed tasting things I would never order. Talented bartender. Great gold rush. Tiny space. Reservations a must.

Took my neice there to celebrate and wow! Simply extraordinary food with wine pairing and service that was seamless Every morsel delicious inventive. And. Worth every penny

Loved this place. Great anniversary dinner with my wife - did the tasting menu and wine pairing and loved every minute of it. No pretentiousness just great food - no over the top anything - just plain amazing. This might be the most enjoyable meal of my life. Will definitely return on next trip to New York.

Amazing food, lovely atmosphere, a fantastic night was had. Definitely recommend it. We did the food and beverage pairing, plus caved to the cheese course. Everything was very good, unique and beautiful.

Booked this restaurants for a Friday night dinner as soon as they opened their webpage bookings. You need to book in advance as the place is pretty small and gets booked up quickly. The first two starters together with the free apetiser were a bit dull, though tasty, and they did make me wonder why this place got a Michelin star. But the arrival of the mains made it clear - both the trout and the beef mains were utterly delicious and everything was cooked perfectly. Also, the deserts, however plain looking, were absolutely divine. One small criticism is the absence of any hot drinks on the menu, you cannot get a coffee or tea with your desert. Why, I wonder? The atmosphere is very relaxed and cool, the service very good but laid back and not overwhelmingly "in your face". It is a place for the younger crowd as other reviews have stated. All in all a very nice experience and probably the cheapest Michelin star tasting menu in NYC!

I had Contra at the top of my list of go to New York restaurants and was quite excited when I secured a reservation. It was a wonderful experience. A six course tasting menu full of creativity and wonder. And the desserts were just superb. Beautiful little restaurant with a great decor and vice. Excellent service.

Absolutely amazing food. From start to finish a great food experience. You know the place where food is to die for, the interior of the restaurant is trendy and the service is excellent. Not up tight but spot on and very knowledgeable. Thats Contra. Just go.

We went for a special occasion as it offered interesting food at a reasonable price. Overall we felt the savoury dishes were very well presented and extremely tasty. However, we felt the desserts let the place down - so much more effort seemed to have been put into the savouries over the Desserts, which were either too creamy or still frozen. I was gifted an extra dessert as a birthday treat which was a nice gesture but looked like a bowl of houmous (altho actually tasted OK.) The biggest let down for us were the drinks.. My husband really only likes lager but they couldn't offer any - there were a few 'craft beers' but for some reason they felt it unnecessary to offer a lager choice. Also, I ordered 2 glasses of wine over the course of the meal - and one was particularly stingy in proportion - the other a more usual measure but it just felt a little bit mean. So - a pleasant experience in a trendy place but a few flaws ...

There are so many memorable experiences about my dinner at Contra: 1. Memorable is the amount of time that passed between courses. So much time that we could have easily run out to a nearby cafe to grab a snack and get back in plenty of time for our next course. 2. Memorable is that midway through the meal, our wine glasses both stood empty. No one asked if we wanted to order another glass. 3. Memorable is that we tried to get the attention of anyone to order more wine, to no avail. Their eyes were fixed on some distant point. 4. Memorable is that our water glasses also were drained and, again, no one came to refill them. I guess we could've poured water from our bottles that we kept in our bags. Who would even notice? 5. Memorable is that, of the seven courses, three were great and four were unmemorable. The unmemorable courses were: beef with ramps and shiitake - it basically was a very rare piece of beef. Creative? Hardly. Unmemorable was the overcooked swordfish with horseradish and dandelion. (Overcooked fish at a restaurant of this caliber? Sad.) Unmemorable was the cloyingly sweet dessert: yogurt with beets and hazelnut. 6. Perhaps what's most memorable of all is that during the entire 2+ hour meal, not one person who served us spoke one word to us after they described the dish and set it on the table. No one asked "Is everything ok?" "Did you enjoy this dish?" and so forth. And, when they gave us our bill, they just set it on the table. Did they care that we had to eat the last few courses sans wine or water? I don't think so. Could this unmemorable experience been a result of an overly busy restaurant? I don't think so. Sure it was packed. But last night, we both ate at a most memorable restaurant, Lupulo, the new Portuguese restaurant by the same chef behind Michelin-starred Aldea. Here you had a much much larger space that was also packed. And yet, the food was oh-so creative and the staff couldn't be more helpful and kind and personable. After this set of memorable experiences, we heard that others said "come for the food, not the service." We would edit this to "Don't come for the food or the service."

Tapas style portions. The food was very flavourful. we especially liked the mushroom tart and chicken wings. Lobster s bit lacklustre. watch out for a credit card charge surcharge of 3.5% . i have nit encountered this before in NYC . It was not flagged by the waiter.

Contra offers the cheapest tasting menu among its Michelin counterparts, with its 6-course tasting menu priced at $74, plus the cheapest wine-pairing, equally set at the moderate price tag of $60. The food is inventive, rather minimalistic if not austere in both the presentation and its ingredients. We won't elaborate on the specific menu choices, for the restaurant often changes its menu, plus, as it is the case with almost invariably every tasting menu, some dishes come out better and other courses might be viewed worse, subjectively by individual diners, depending on particular likes and dislikes. The food, to make a long story short, is very good. However, for a Michelin star-studded restaurant there are quite a few flaws that should be deemed as totally unacceptable not even for a Michelin star establishment but even for a chain restaurant. First, there is only one WC available for the diners, one WC that constantly generates a waiting line, with some of the queueing patrons staying in/spilling into the main dining area. Well, a possible explanation of miniscule premises, thus a cheaper rent, allowing to keep the prices low, the excuse is not good enough. A Michelin meal doesn't and shouldn't involve diners loitering next to your table anxiously awaiting their turn to get into the sole restroom. Secondly, our wine pairing (more than eyebrows-raising by providing only white wine for every course) featured pouring first Sancerre and then Riesling in the same glass [sic!], something we can't recall of having experienced ever. The ambiance is moderately loud, mostly hipster and younger crowd. Reservations are not available though OpenTable but should be done on the restaurant's website. A credit card is required to secure your reservation.

Our final dinner in Manhattan in October of 2015 was at Contra, on the Lower East Side. We impatiently waited eight months and three days to return. Contra offers a set six-course menu, moderately priced at $67, which changes every two weeks. It's the creation of chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske. Mr. von Hauske makes the desserts and the bread; Mr. Stone does the rest. The space is unassuming — long and narrow, with banquet tables lining the brick walls. This time around we added the optional wine pairing for $55 each. It was easily the best pairing we'd ever had — six generous pours of six unusually delicious wines that went perfectly with Mr. Stone's and Mr. von Hauske's creations. We also again added the optional warm loaf of bread and soft creamy butter, spread with a wooden spatula, for the sum of $3. The bread and butter alone is worth the trip to Contra. Our seven-year-old grandson is already a foodie; he's also a budding chef. He tells us he wants to create food that is simple and sophisticated. That's what Mr. Stone is all about. He chooses quality ingredients and lets them shine, with accompanying flavors that don't steal the show. On this evening, his show was spectacular. Our first course was cubes of sushi grade tuna, accompanied by blackberries and slivers of onion, which complimented without overpowering. Delicious. Next up were linguini-like pieces of tender squid, accompanied by asparagus, squid ink and a walnut pesto. Perfect. Our third dish was a generous piece of tender fluke, with snow peas and wild fennel. The fennel worked perfectly with the delicate fish; it was not a garnish. Mr. Stone's final creation of the evening was a perfectly seasoned and prepared (medium rare to rare) slice of tenderloin, complimented with a mild horseradish sauce and slivers of feta cheese. Again, the horseradish and feta were supporting actors, letting the delicious beef shine. And now it was Mr. von Hauske's turn. His first dessert was a milk mousse, with pistachio crumbles and elderflower granita, served in an ice-cold dish. It was palate-cleansing perfect. Our final dish of the evening was a deconstructed strawberry shortcake. A perfect semifreddo bathed in a fresh strawberry sauce with a chunk of cornbread. We both finished every bite of Mr. von Hauske's two yummy desserts. On this evening, Mr. Stone and Mr. von Hauske presented us with one of the most incredible meals we'd ever had. Now it's time to again start counting down the days and the months until we can return to Contra.

Magic fish tartare. great meat great location and sublime staff. you can't look better if you are looking for this type of restaurant. served immediately and pampered. the restaurant is in a great location but you have to choose the table with the waiter accompanying you.

The highlights of the evening were the impeccable service and the Waygu beef dish. The bread and homemade butter is something you'll definitely want to add. I'm all for an adventure when it comes to a tasting menu, but it just wasn't very tasty. Half of the dishes were awesome, the other half were misses. Low on flavor and seasoning. Portions were about what you'd expect for a tasting menu. I usually trust Infatuation's rating when dining in NYC, but I'm going to disagree. Perhaps it was an off night, perhaps things aren't in season right now, but I don't see any reason to give it another shot.

Contra, a New American style restaurant that features a tasting menu only menu, is pretty solid. The service was a little lacking in a few areas, from being a bit hostile about one of our party missing 8 minutes after we were supposed to begin, a little rude about drink orders, and then giving some mediocre wine advice, but definitely improved during the meal and was very good by the end of the night. The drink menu is far larger than the food one because of the tasting menu, with multiple cocktails, a few beers from the bottle, and an extensive wine list. The wine suggested as being full bodied was a bit light and thin to me, but was not bad with the menu. The bread, and add on from the menu, was amazing with a nice thick crispy crust and outstanding salted butter. The cracker with onion and cream served first was a nice palate cleanser and got things started well. The asian pear, walnut and radish was a take on salad a very fresh but seasonal for a chilly day. I don’t know what sunchoke is, but it’s apparently a tasty veggie that goes great with clam and buttermilk for a creamy dish that made a good transition from salad to fish plate. The textures of this dish were a little mushy, but the flavors were incredible and there was a lot of nice color. The next dish, very heavy on the seafood was a tilefish filet with kohlrabi and trout roe. The trout roe is less flavorful than salmon caviar, and a little less salty which was a good thing on this dish which was just bordering on too salty. The next dish moved into a much heavier place with a delicious strip of beef that was beautifully cooked and seared with an amazing red color in the center. This was definitely the best tasting and most satisfying dish. The veggies were also fairly stout and held up well with the meat as well as feeling right for the season. Moving to dessert, the first of two was a vanilla and blackberry crispy cake with a nice tart fruity taste that wasn’t too sweet after the meat. Last was a buckwheat, amanrath, and yogurt dish that was a great palate cleanser and had a bit of a note of sugar smacks cereal which was a nice throwback. This was definitely the stronger of the desserts and about tied with the beef for best course of the meal. The space is fairly spartan and pretty tight, especially the bar, so you’re best off hanging out at a nearby bar for a reservation rather than cramming into the tight bar. The space does make it feel a bit more personal and less pretentious though.

It was my first time to try a tasting menu and was very curious because it was highly recommended by a friend. The food and how everything was presented was interesting. However, I did not find all of the dishes to be extraordinary. I did enjoy the texture of the chicken and the fish as they were perfectly cooked. The desserts were also really good. If you like light-tasting food with Scandinavian influences then this would be for you. One downside - The wait staff did not take the time to explain each dish thoroughly.

The food was ok but nothing special. Same goes for the wine. We left here about $130pp poorer, and although it was a perfectly pleasant experience, I think for the money, there are better places to go.

Amazing food, very Nordic inspired. GREAT service; very knowledgable and friendly. Would definitely come back!

This review is based on vegetarian items and I cannot speak for the non-vegetarian menu items at Contra. I would like to start this review by saying minus the food my experience here was positive. The staff is very knowledgeable about the food at Contra and their wines and the service was excellent. I way the food was presented also supports the Michelin star. The entire meal was an experience with different types of plates and utensils for each course. My only issue was the actual vegetarian food. We came here because my husband saw Contra on a timeout article speaking about top vegetarian places in NYC. Prior to our meal, we got bread. The bread was very good. They gave you the side of the bread and a middle piece. The end of the bread was very hard and therefore difficult to eat but it still tasted good. There is only one actual item listed on the menu that is vegetarian. It's cooked asparagus wrapped in a leaf with a sauce. The asparagus was cooked well. However, there was no flavor to it other than salt and it was very salty. I am someone who has a high sodium intake and yet even I found it salty. The waitress was very nice and explained they have 2 items on the menu that they can make vegetarian. The caviar and tofu without the caviar and the monkfish dish but with dumplings filled with squash and pumpkin with mushrooms. They also said they have an off menu item that's potatoes with radishes on top. We got all of these items. The tofu was VERY disappointing. First off, it's a cold dish, which may be my fault but I didn't know and it was more a tofu soup. The soup was also VERY sweet and yet had one or two elements of savory and the flavors just didn't mesh well. The potato dish was also disappointing. It tasted plain and didn't seem like something that should have come out of the kitchen of a Michelin star restaurant. The only dish that was decent was the dumpling dish. The dumplings were well flavored and tasted great. Unfortunately the sauce it came with was so salty it was hard to actually taste the dumplings. The mushrooms in the dish were well cooked but unfortunately they were also covered in the sauce making the dish difficult to eat. We came here to celebrate 6 months of being married and I couldn't have walked out more disappointed. The bill was over $200 and I don't think it was worth it at all. As a vegetarian I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. I only gave them 2 stars for the service and experience.

Didn’t have a reservation but they had seats at the bar, so happy they did. The drinks are like a science fair in the best way, amazing cocktails. They also have the best scallop dish in the city.

This is a nice restaurant to go to when you are in the mood to dine, but not to have to make any decisions - with the exception of which wine to choose....lol. While the space is small, and so tables are a touch too close to each other for my taste, that didn't deter from the enjoyment of the delicious food placed in front of us. The one weak spot in the meal was the amuse which was a home made ricotta cheese served on a cracker - but the cracker was soggy, and leaden in the mouth - due to the cheese having sat on it too long. The rest of the meal was wonderful and featured the best calamari i have had in New York City. The only other fault i could find with the evening was that when the tasting was done, the check was immediately put on the table without our asking for it. We were going to order a digestive (averna, etc) but didn't, so went elsewhere.

I had read the reviews and dined with friends. 7 courses, very small courses and I came away hungry. Service was good. Place is noisy with millenials shrieking at their own jokes, An undistinguished wine list. Good cocktails. The bread was okay, but chewy and more chewy. Two of the seven courses were just a mouthful.. No other items on the menu and so was the tasting menu was it. Tries hard to be "trendy" but ended up just an experiment.

The restaurant is serving "only" one five course menu , but this is definitely no hinder. We enjoyed there a delicious , very creative menu with well balanced ingredients, tasting very well.Also the two different desserts in the five course menu were an additional highlight .A very recommendable place to go to in the busy environment of the Orchard road downtown.

It took a while to get reservation to Contra, so plan as soon as possible. The tasting menu was wonderful. I even tried the fresh tofu and it was delicious. I devoured every single dish and they were all very tasty. Dessert was delectable. Service was impeccable. The only drawback is that there are no substitutions.

A friend took me and my son to Contra for dinner. My friend knows the staff very well so whilst we had the menu there were a couple of additional dishes thrown in for good measure. The food was exceptional the wine pairing out of this world. The thing I couldn't get over was the cost. Unbelievable value given the quality of the food and service. Can't wait to go back.

this visit was exactly what i wanted. nice stuff the food is new and exciting. super good wines. we will for shure go back.

We tried the tasting menu at this busy restaurant in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The range of dishes was excellent from tofu to seafood to wagyu beef tartare to dessert. We also tried the wine matches with the tasting menu and found this relatively disappointing. While many of the wines were excellent, most did not pair well with the food. The service was very friendly and attentive. Reservations are highly recommended as this was very busy (admittedly on a Saturday night).

We visited Contra on a Sunday evening with a reservation. We had a short wait upon our arrival but took the opportunity to grab a cocktail at the bar. The bartender was amazingly friendly, but the cocktails were so-so. You can find better elsewhere. Once seated, we were sad to find that they were out of bread. However, our first course came out quickly. Each bite was delicious. The plates are small, which was to be expected, yet in the end, we were both satisfied with the amount of food we were served and were not left hungry. The atmosphere was different than I expected. It's a small space with small tables that are very close together. It has a bit of a rustic feel with wooden accents all around. It's cozy but loud. We enjoyed our meal! The dishes were very unique. If you are picky, be sure to take a look at the menu first!

This is as good a meal as I have had in NYC and without any pretense. Creative dishes, well-executed, with great service - and, especially for NYC, a bargain.

Our party could not resist trying this Michelin Star restaurant for a Saturday early-evening meal. Our server, who confessed that it was his first night working there, was witty, professional, menu-savvy and very efficient. If that was your first night, then I would suggest that you will have a very bright future. We ordered and shared the following from the limited, but specialized menu: (1) Hiramasa Tartare with kimchi, roasted peppers and scallion ash. Very tasty with a clean, fresh zing; (2) Wagyu Beef Crudo with rhubarb mole, chili and sesame. The beef was sublime. It was buttery with a touch of sweetness. A delicious contrast to the light tartare; (3) Boston Mackerel with sorrel and heirloom tomatoes. A decent size piece of fish, which had the perfect, fresh oiliness that was 'cut through' by the sweetness and slight acidity of the tomatoes and the lemony tang from the sorrel; (4) Boudin Noir, which is black pudding or blood pudding. Now, some people may be put off by this. Don't be! It was rich, hearty and delicious, and the addition of beans, verde mustard and fushimi pepper balanced the flavor nicely; and (5) Concord Grape And Bitter Almond with almond cookie and burnt vanilla. Well, this was unusual and kind of hard to describe. Don't get me wrong, it was fantastic. It was sweet and tarte, creamy and crumbly. A real dichotomy of flavors that just works. All polished down with a bottle of chilled rose. It is a reasonably narrow restaurant, but the seating was well thought out. Busy atmosphere, but friendly. Couples, family and friends are probably the main customers. If you are looking for something diverse and different, but really delicious give it a visit.

We arrived without reservations and were immediately impressed with the staff figuring out how to fit us in. We ate at the bar, and that turned out to be great. The pace of the dining experience was surprisingly civilized for NYC. We got to enjoy our conversation with each other and with the bar tender (he was outstanding) and did not feel rush - at the same time never waited too long. The menu is prix fixe. Each dish was well thought out and the progression of the meal was excellent. Well priced and interesting wine selection - we opted for a red and a white from the Jura region. We would definitely come back.

The anticipation of each dish that comes to your table did not disappoint. Each one was prepared so delicately and with so much thought behind it. From the pear salad to the flakey seafood. I thought it couldn't get better till the desserts came out. Melt in your mouth and so heavenly. I wanted to ask for more.

Dined at Contra for my husband's birthday. All of the dishes were creative in presentation and flavor. The menu changes daily based on the sourced ingredients and chef's inspiration. Unlike other NYC "tasting menus" this truly is a tasting which matches the reasonable pricing ($67/per person). We enjoyed a jicama & walnut appetizer followed by courses of carrot, unit, and butternut squash; mackerel, grains and broccoli rabe; razor clam, almond and dandelion; chicken, sesame, and garlic greens; mandarin & chamomile; elderflower, pistachio, olive oil dessert. Everything was tasty except the razor clam course - it just didn't agree with us. We also opted to add the bread and cheese options, which were quite tasty. Service was good and the overall vibe is very hip!

I had the pleasure to eat here by myself on a recent trip to NYC. I did the “Contra” tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was very good and the wines excellent, with many obscure small European wines with unconventional flavor and tannin profiles. The space is small and cramped and loud, but full of energy. The staff was truly gracious and professional.

It's been a few weeks since I dined at Contra, but the meal was the culinary highlight of the trip. For a tasting course, it was a perfect balance of familiarity and invention. Would go back for a second try.

From outside looks like a casual bar. Dinning room is very Spartan but warm and clean. Staff are young hip but professional, competent and helpful. Neighborhood's very edgy and very NYC, not very touristy and very flash. Most customers were couples in their mid 20s to early 30s, people that appreciate Nomaesque food. Best parts were fantastic bread (worth extra 3 dollars), beef dish and deserts. The food is no choice 5 course at 55$, which is cheap. Wine list compact and nothing over 200 $. I wish we in OZ could do a hipster restaurant without the bull and attitude.

One of my favorite chefs told me to go there. It is quite a struggle to find it. Once there they say they have walk in places with a short menu but that wasn't t the case. We could stay sat at the bar (not to comfy), and had to order the whole menu. We also took the wine selection. The food was not that special far fetched and very very expensive. Payed 380 dollar for a 60 minute sit on a bar and regretted that I was there! Not worth spending

Gosh the waiter was passionate about the food. Every little detail was shared. Incredibly good wines. The perfect amount of food for a degustation-only place. So often you get over fed and it's just unpleasant. This was the perfect amount. Beautiful, seasonal flavours. No 'dud' dish. Everything a winner, and we've recommended to friends ever since. A must go for East Village dining.

We had heard so many good things about this place that we were really excited to visit. The food was good, nothing extraordinary. We had 4 or 5 waiters during the night and the explanation of the plate or ingredients that you would expect as part of a tasting menu was poor to non-existent. The flow of the plates was terrible. It just felt like a discontinued array of plates with no connection whatsoever. The waiters we had were completely distracted and busy. Overpriced. With so many great options to dine in New York, don't waste your time (or money) in this place.

one 5 course menu to "chose" from and all the better for it. Once seated in this trendy & relaxed restaurant, you are presented with the menu, which, given its mandatory nature, serves only to hint at the wine pairing (which is optional). Thankfully, a sommelier was at hand and he offered to recommend his personal favorite which we happily took. Thus, we were able to place out foor & beverage order in record breaking time. All 5 dishes tasted great with just the right amount of creative twist and so did our orange wine from Sicily at a very reasonable 60 USD. However, I couldnt help noticing that it is the some menu I saw on a february review, which makes me wonder how often they change it. A set menu is a great idea but you need to make sure it keeps changing or you ll soon bore patrons.

What a great surprise hidden in the LES. Contra offers a 5 course menu for 55€. All dishes have been really amazing and top quality. We target 1 Michelin star levels here. If you like a surprise menu in a very casual way, just book a table here asap. You will not regret. They have great wines from smaller vineyards at very competitive prices. Soon it will be extremely hard to get a table here. Don't wait too long if you like to check this place out.

You cannot stay in New York and not visit Contra, this place is amazing The size of the restaurant (quite small) makes getting a reservation difficult but well worth the effort The staff are extremely friendly and attentive and the ambience is neighbourhood restaurant with Michelin star food 6 course tasting menu was the best 6 dishes I have ever tasted Quite simply, the best restaurant I have ever visited.

Contra only does one thing and they absolutely do it well. It's hard to imagine anyone doing a 5-course pre fixe dinner in NY for $55, but they do it well. Maybe it's the Lower East Side, low-end real estate or maybe it the lack of white table cloth service, but the food is the star -as it should be! Three savory courses, including both fish and beef, and two desert courses. It is easy to spend $150 or more for a pre-fixe lunch in NY, but Contra does it right for dinner at a much lower price. Your friends will think you are cool and not just loose with your wallet. We went on a Thursday night at 8 pm and there were plenty of tables available. Let's hope this place makes it because it is definitely worth a return visit.

these guys know whats up. i mean, what a great set menu that changes daily paired with an awesome natural wine selection that will blow your socks off, even in summer.

Expectations were high, just landed. Good price quality. New style European alternative food. Wines biological unfiltered , that does not mean it is jammy! Nice ev ning, good food, wines mwa, not my cup of tea! Bread is great!!!!

Exquisite food in an exquisite setting. It's more than just the food - it's an experience. As soon as I walked in, I felt the inviting and warm ambience. I loved the layout and felt like a little like I was dining in a friend's home rather than a traditional restaurant. The menu is prix fixe and the restaurant was flexible to accommodate our dietary needs. We had two pescatarians and a vegan (as well as a friend who ate everything). Nothing was too much trouble and each dish was immaculate - in both presentation and taste. The wine pairings were a perfect compliment to each menu item. The service was impeccable. I loved this place and will definitely be back. Located in Orchard Street, it is a 5-10 minute stroll from the F,M and B.D subway lines. Reservation is highly recommended.

Great place, excellent food, beautiful... exceeding expectations, impecable service. A most place to go while in NYC

So this foodie place will dock you $67/pp if you are a no show. They have reached that level of foodie stardom. It's a good location for a good meal after visiting the Lower East Side galleries, the New Museum, and the Tenement Museum. I sensed a bunch of locals however and few tourists. Average age of diners was hit 20's however. The music playlist, which was pretty high volume, tended toward Morrisey, War on Drugs, and Florence and The Machine. It's overall a loud place with tables very close together. The fixed price meal is $67, plus $3 for bread (huh?). Very good wine selection and our server knew her wines. The food was excellent, with much care on flavors and plating. The seven courses arrive at just the right pace. I recommend this place if you are in the neighborhood.

With no reservations I can say that Contra was by far the best dining experience we enjoyed during our last visit to New York (March 2015). In very modest surroundings in the Lower East Side is produced a celestial culinary extravagance. The chef's five course prix fixe meal is simply magical: thoughtfully created, inventive in conception and exquisitely prepared. In various courses we enjoyed the perfect ingredients: persimmons, swordfish (sublime), hanger steak and divine desserts. Follow my advice, make the trip down here and have the time of your life. I can't wait to come back.

This is a very good restaurant which can compete with 1 star michelin restaurants. we had a lovely prefixed five meal course. Everything was tasty, the waiters were nice and I would go again. Only downside is the wines. I'm not into nature wines, and that is, what they serve. But they have a great bartender and some nice beers instead. I would go with that.

Great small restaurant with delicious prix fixe menu. Small delicious 5 course menu including soup and steak prepared in innovative tasty manner.

This restaurant is somewhat tucked away and you could likely walk right by it with its unassuming exterior. I'd suggest not making that mistake. Inside the quaint venue is a rather lovely tasting menu that will satisfy the vegetarians and omnivores in your group. For $78 you get a five course tasting menu, which while not cheap, is more than reasonable by NYC standards. Each course built upon the last and was delicious. For the food I would recommend checking this place out. The only downside was that some of the cocktails we tried need a bit of work as they didn't do the restaurant justice, but that's a minor thing. The food is the star here.

Best tasting menu ever, Contra is spreading an ideology of "high end" cuisine instead of being a good restaurant. The location is ideal in the heart of lower east side, good spot to chill with friend, for dating. Their food is as good as those Michelin restaurant, and you only pay not even half of the price. Glad to learn about this from Munchies (One of the Vice shows), I would definitely love to come back every few weeks.

We had very vegetable and fish forward dishes, and all were delicious. The restaurant is very small and reminded us of Austin. We wish they had Austin air conditioning, as it was warm. Our menu was basically this (not chicken, though): lettuce & pistachio; summer squash, burrata (loved), sorrel; crab, english peas, potatoes (loved); fluke, almond, basil (loved); chicken, cabbage; cherry, charred milk (loved); peaches & corn (loved). Everything was amazing. Get the bread (separate charge)! We will be back. For a set menu, we thought $67/person was a good value.

A 7 stories fix menu with different combination, where ingredients meet in an unconventional way. The row scallops with algae juice was surprising. An amazing dinner with a lot of surprise, super fresh seasonal ingredients and an impeccable service!

You can only book 2 weeks in advance, so I was so pleased when I managed to secure a table. It's very easy to walk past and miss the restaurant, so keep eyes peeled! We love tasting menus, and this one was delicious all the way through and it is very reasonably priced compared to elsewhere in New York. It's very dark inside, so accompanying photos not the best! No hot drinks are served at the end. Go with an open mind and enjoy!

We decided to try Contra after reading a few reviews online and were not disappointed. We didn't want to spend big bucks for a nice meal. Flavour combinations were great. Beautiful presentation. Staff attentive. Bread was delicious. Nice fit out. $67 for the tasting menu + bread and wine. Definitely worth it. Wine list was ok, nothing special. Booked online which was easy. Would definitely go again.

We loved the food. The tasting menu is superb. The problem is that with drinks, the bill for four was $500-600. Way too much for a tasting menu, a few cocktails and one wine-pairing. Service was excellent!

Made a late reservation as the time slots were filling up fast online. We had to make a deposit on the reservation too. My husband and I got the tasting menu and were surprised at how full we were when we left! We got such a variety of dishes and some we liked (the veal was out of this world) and the desserts and others we could've passed on, but smaller dishes made it so we could try a lot of things and not be committed to an entire portion we weren't sure about. They asked if something was wrong with one of my husband's course because he didn't eat much of it, but he just wasn't a fan of tofu. We had great time talking about and between each dish and left about 2.5 hours later! Each meal was a little surprise and tickled your tastebuds. Would recommend to anyone!

There for my birthday with my tweens and husband. Great food and really great service. Just very disappointed at the end when we ordered the cheese course. We were told we could not get it as there are chestnuts served along with the cheese and my son has a nut allergy. We asked they leave the chestnuts off the plate which would make it a nut free course. The chef wouldn’t accommodate us even though we asked a few times. He refused and I thought that was really wrong. I would never return there because of this.

Contra had been on my radar for several months, but I wanted to wait for the weather to get better before venturing all the way to Orchard Street. This tiny restaurant was full of surprises – and all of them positive! The entrance is unassuming, and I walked past it twice before realizing that I was there. The dining space is long and narrow, with an exposed-brick wall along one side. Contra serves a six-course prix-fixe menu for $ 67, which changes frequently depending on availability of ingredients. The menu is presented on a simple piece of paper, and is minimalist in its description (see photograph). My first reaction was skepticism, particularly when I saw that Contra charges $ 3 for its bread (more about the bread follows!). The wines are reasonably priced, but quite unusual (read: I could not recognize any of the wines listed!). Having said that, all concerns were wiped out by the end of the evening. The bread is freshly baked and hot off the oven, accompanied by a divine whipped butter, which should be generously used to get the full bread experience! And I wish they would let us buy more of the bread to take home. Every single dish on the menu was spectacular, with an abundance of flavors and textures. And the wine we chose, after some explanation and help from our server, also turned out just fine. Two of the six courses were dessert, and I had decided to skip those, but made the ‘mistake’ of tasting a wee-bit of the first one. And I was completely hooked! I wiped out both the desserts, as did my friend, who is also not a dessert fan. This is one of the most innovative tasting menus I have found in New York, minus all the fuss and drama, and excellent value!

An amazing experience! The vegetarian menu with the wine pairing was such a delicious and creative experience. Every meal we had was beautifully prepared and delicious. Service was great as well. Definitely recommend!

In general I don't like inventive cuisine. But here everything worked, more than worked, was in fact delicious. They have a set menu, but accomodate allergies.

The Resturant Contra is definitely a must when visiting NYC. Each time I have been to this understated restaurant, I am pleasantly surprised. When you walk in the restaurant the atmosphere is cozy and tastefully decorated. The service is excellent. Each person that works there, has a appreciation of your experience. The food is prepared artfully. Each dish is aesthetically pleasing. There is careful preparation on all the dishes and quality of the food is unbeatable. My cousin and I have decided it is one of our favorite restaurants, a culinary experience that leaves you feeling very satisfied.

Contra continue to be our favorite restaurant destination in New York City. Still the chef's testing menu, which we had twice last year. Great wine parings, this year more unusual than last year. Outstanding meal

We went for a dinner. They only offer seasonal testing menu but it is a good value for the money. Excellent service, reasonably priced wine list with good selection, nice food. I would skip the cheese course but deserts are a must, Overall it is well worth visit.

We discovered this place on our last trip to NYC. The prix fixe menu was creative, authentic, and delicious!! We ate items we had never even heard of and fell in love with the innovation. This month, we returned to NYC for work for only one night, and we chose to return to Contra again! Although, I'll be honest, this trip the flavor profiles were not quite as delicious as they were a year ago, we were still impressed with the food, the staff was amazing and we love the quaint, casual vibe of this place. A must try!!

Delicious and creative. Every dish on the tasting menu was inventive, subtle, and terrific, including the desserts. And make sure to get the bread and cheese plate. The menu changes frequently; I can't wait to return.

We had a fantastic evening at Contra. The delicious tasting menu was creative and flawlessly executed. I'd suggest taking the cleverly matched wines to get the most out of the experience. The atmosphere was relaxed, the service was great, and whilst not a cheap dinner, it really represents good value. Highly recommend, and would definitely go back.

Contra has a mid sixty dollars menu with a straight no choices 4 courses, an amazing wine director who will surprise you with some rare finds, and a downtown feel like nowhere else. The only negative fact is the hard seating, really not comfortable for a place where you are expected to spend a good 2 hours tasting the very inventive food put in front of you. If not for that, great place to enjoy wine and food together served by a very knowledgeable female staff. Very talented chef, we really enjoyed our evening, and will come back.

Nice 6 courses fixed menu on orchard street. All dishes are very good but not ones you will remember 3 days later.