63 Clinton

Worth the effort to book; if you can get in

63 Clinton is one of the harder reservations to secure on the Lower East Side, that difficulty is earned. This is a Michelin-starred tasting menu format operating Tuesday through Saturday, 6–11 pm, with no walk-in culture to speak of. If you are planning a special occasion dinner and want a room that can match the ambition of a $$$$ price point without the institutional weight of Midtown's established flagships, 63 Clinton delivers. Book as far out as your schedule allows; this is not a last-minute option.

What this kitchen does technically

The cooking at 63 Clinton is precise in the way that only comes from long-term collaboration. Chef Samuel Clonts and co-owner Raymond Trinh have worked together for over a decade, with their shared career beginning at Brooklyn Fare, a three-Michelin-star kitchen known for its technical rigour. That foundation shows. In New York City's contemporary tasting menu field, 63 Clinton has risen quickly: ranked #109 on Opinionated About Dining's Leading Restaurants in North America in 2025, up from #110 in 2024 and a Highly Recommended listing in 2023. The Michelin star, awarded in 2024, confirmed what OAD's trajectory suggested.

What makes the kitchen worth your attention is its control of balance and texture across a full tasting menu arc. Opinionated About Dining's assessment of the menu describes early bites like a breakfast taco that set an unexpected tone, scallop dishes that prioritise balance, soft scrambled eggs with shio-koji butter, stracciatella-filled cannelloni, a composed short rib, a goat milk ice cream that closes the meal as a study in texture. None of that reads like a kitchen trying to impress through complexity alone. The emphasis is on ingredient quality and technique working together rather than in tension, a harder thing to pull off than it sounds, rarer in the $$$$ tasting menu tier than you might expect.

The dining room itself is deliberately understated. The Lower East Side address and the modest interior are part of the point: this is not a room designed to signal status before the food arrives. For a special occasion dinner where the meal is the event rather than the setting, that restraint works in your favour. The atmosphere is calm and controlled, suited to conversation. If you are after theatrical presentation or a high-energy room, this is not the right choice, for that, look toward Eleven Madison Park or Per Se. But if considered, focused cooking in a low-key setting is what you want, 63 Clinton does that more convincingly than most rooms at this price.

Service is described as warm and knowledgeable, which matters at this format. A tasting menu only works if the front of house can explain what you are eating without making it feel like a lecture. The long-standing team dynamic between the kitchen and the floor supports that, this is not a room with high staff turnover.

Booking and practical details

Reservations: Hard to secure. Book a minimum of three to four weeks out; popular weekend slots will fill faster than that. There is no walk-in option for a format like this. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 6–11 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. Budget: $$$$ price range. Expect tasting menu pricing consistent with a Michelin-starred contemporary room in New York City. Dress: No dress code listed, but the calm, considered atmosphere of the room suggests smart casual as a baseline. Address: 63 Clinton St, New York, NY 10002.

How It Compares

See the full comparison below for context on where 63 Clinton sits in New York City's $$$$ tasting menu tier.

Pearl picks for New York City

Planning more of your trip? Our guides cover the full city: restaurants, hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences. For comparable contemporary tasting menu experiences in North America, see Alinea in Chicago, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, The French Laundry in Napa, Providence in Los Angeles, Emeril's in New Orleans, AnnaLena in Vancouver, and Barbara in Vancouver.