Restaurant in New York City, United States
Book it. Hard to get, worth the effort.
Ranked #57 on Opinionated About Dining's 2025 Casual North America list and holder of a Star Wine List #1 ranking in New York, Estela earns its $$$$ price tier through ingredient-led Mediterranean cooking and a 795-bottle wine list overseen by a dedicated Wine Director. Book three to four weeks out for weekend dinner — walk-ins are not a reliable strategy here.
Expect to spend in the $$$ range per person for a two-course meal at Estela, and at the $$$$ price tier overall, this is a commitment. It is worth making. Ranked #57 in Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list for 2025 (up from #60 in 2024), Estela has earned consistent placement among the most considered casual restaurants in the country. For a first-timer at this price point in SoHo, the question is not whether the cooking is good — it is — but whether the format suits you. Estela runs on shareable plates that change regularly, driven by Mediterranean and contemporary American sensibilities. If you prefer a fixed tasting menu or a classical à la carte structure, look elsewhere. If you want precise, ingredient-led cooking in a room that feels genuinely alive, book here.
Estela sits on the first floor at 47 East Houston Street, a short walk from the centre of SoHo. The room has been described as a boisterous alcove , expect conversation-level noise, close tables, and a pace that suits groups eating and talking rather than couples seeking a quiet dinner. For a first visit, that context matters: this is not the place if you need a calm environment. It is a strong choice if you want energy alongside the food.
Chef Juliana Corrado runs the kitchen under the ownership of Ignacio Mattos, whose name is closely tied to Estela's identity and the sourcing philosophy that has defined the menu since the restaurant opened. The cooking draws on Mediterranean technique applied to ingredients selected with clear intention. Dishes like ricotta dumplings with mushrooms and Pecorino Sardo, and warm crab with shaved celeriac, have become reference points in the city's conversation about what careful sourcing actually looks like on a plate , not as a marketing note on the menu, but as something you notice in the texture of a dumpling or the restraint of a dressing. The tuna, when on the menu, is described as sashimi-grade, pounded thin and dressed with pil pil sauce. These are not generic flavour combinations; they reflect the kind of sourcing decisions that justify a $$$-per-head spend on food alone.
The wine program reinforces the case for Estela as a serious dining destination. Wine Director Alessandra Ameglio oversees a list of 795 selections with a cellar inventory of 3,500 bottles. The list is weighted toward France , Burgundy and Rhône in particular , with meaningful depth in Germany as well. Star Wine List ranked Estela #1 in New York for 2024, and awarded it a White Star in 2024. At $$$ wine pricing, you will find many bottles above $100, so factor that into your total spend. The corkage fee is $75 if you bring your own bottle. For a restaurant at this level, the wine list is one of the stronger reasons to book, not just an afterthought.
Estela offers lunch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. If you are visiting for the first time and want to experience the food without the full evening noise and energy, a weekend lunch is the better entry point. Dinner runs Monday through Sunday until 10:30 PM, and the room fills quickly on Friday and Saturday evenings. If your priority is getting a seat rather than optimising the experience, Thursday dinner is typically more accessible than a weekend slot. The lunch service also tends to move at a pace that allows more time with the menu, which suits the shareable format better than a rushed weeknight dinner.
Booking difficulty at Estela is classified as hard. Plan to reserve at least three to four weeks in advance for a weekend dinner, and two weeks out for a weekday evening. Weekend lunch slots open up more frequently, but do not assume availability without checking early. Walk-ins are possible but not reliable, especially on Thursday through Saturday evenings. The restaurant does not publish a dress code, but at $$$$ pricing in a serious SoHo dining room, smart casual is a reasonable read of the room. Come prepared to share everything at the table , the menu format does not work well for solo diners who prefer defined courses.
Quick reference: 47 E Houston St, SoHo, New York. Dinner nightly from 5 PM; lunch Fri–Sun from 11:30 AM. Wine list: 795 selections, $$$. Corkage: $75. Booking: hard , reserve 3–4 weeks ahead for weekends.
See the full comparison below for how Estela sits against other $$$$ options in New York City.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estela | Mediterranean, Contemporary | Estela is a restaurant in New York City, USA. It was published on Star Wine List on March 7, 2024 and is a White Star.; New York! New York! Simple and good. We call it a cuisine for chefs. You will definitely come back here. A slightly larger choice of vegetable dishes and the radishes are going to rise as well. And what an ambiance, a brown pub has nothing on it. Everyone is busy talking, laughing, enjoying themselves. The Estella team is also in a flow that runs perfectly smoothly. Nice, and congratulations!; Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #57 (2025); WINE: Wine Strengths: France, Burgundy, Rhone, Germany Pricing: $$$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $75 Selections: 795 Inventory: 3,500 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: American, Mediterranean Pricing: $$$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Lunch and Dinner STAFF: People Alessandra Ameglio:Wine Director Wine Director: Alessandra Ameglio Chef: Juliana Corrado Owner: Ignacio Mattos; This boisterous SoHo alcove is an ideal place to convene with friends over exquisite nibbles and quenching cocktails. The talented chef behind this operation, Ignacio Mattos, is unfaltering and impressively consistent in his creative renditions of such bold and iconic dishes as ricotta dumplings with mushrooms and Pecorino Sardo. The menu also offers an array of shareable plates that changes regularly, like the mound of warm crab cloaked by shaved celeriac. Dinner might kick off with perfect, sashimi-grade tuna pounded thin and dressed with a dollop of inky pil pil sauce or enticingly plated fried arroz negro scattered with tender squid and hazelnut-studded romesco.; Star Wine List #1 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #60 (2024); Michelin 1 Star (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #36 (2023); Opinionated About Dining Gourmet Casual Dining in North America Ranked #8 (2023); World's 50 Best Best Restaurants #44 (2016); Estela is an intimate downtown bistro from chef Ignacio Mattos, recognized for its contemporary American and Mediterranean dishes. It holds one Michelin star and is celebrated for its thrilling dinner service, leisurely weekend brunch, and bustling bar. | Hard | — |
| Le Bernardin | French, Seafood | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Atomix | Modern Korean, Korean | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | French, Vegan | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Masa | Sushi, Japanese | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Per Se | French, Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
How Estela stacks up against the competition.
Go for dinner on a weekday if you want slightly easier booking — weekend dinners at this Opinionated About Dining #57-ranked spot require three to four weeks' notice minimum. The menu is built around shareable plates from chef Ignacio Mattos, so come with at least one other person to cover more ground. Lunch on Friday through Sunday is a lower-stakes entry point at the same address: 47 East Houston Street, first floor.
The menu changes regularly and skews Mediterranean and contemporary American, with a noted range of vegetable dishes. Specific dietary accommodation policies are not documented in available venue data, so check the venue's official channels when booking to confirm what they can work with for your party.
The room has been described as boisterous and convivial rather than formal — think put-together but relaxed. A jacket is not required; the crowd leans downtown New York rather than midtown business. Overdressing will look more out of place than underdressing.
At $$$ for a typical two-course meal ($$$ cuisine pricing, $$$$ overall tier), Estela earns its price through consistent execution and a serious wine list — 795 selections, 3,500 inventory, with particular depth in Burgundy and Rhône. Ranked #57 on Opinionated About Dining's 2025 Casual North America list, it outperforms most peers at this price point for creative cooking without the formality of a tasting-menu-only format. If you want shareable plates done at a high level, the spend is justified.
Estela does not operate a fixed tasting menu — the format is à la carte shareable plates, which gives you more control over spend and pacing than a set progression. This makes it a better choice than tasting-menu-only venues like Atomix or Per Se if you prefer to direct your own meal. Order broadly; the menu is designed for the table to share across multiple dishes.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
