Words cannot describe how much I loved this meal. Somni recently reopened after being closed for five years and was one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in the US. This is quite possibly one of the most perfect dining experiences that I’ve ever had and it’s my new favorite restaurant in the US.
First off, the space is gorgeous. You start in their outside patio that feels like a little oasis in the city for some starting bites, then move into their main dining room which is a 14 seat curved counter with the main pass right in front of you so they’re plating everything right there.
The precision and detail-oriented thinking of Aitor and the whole team is what sets Somni apart. They hand fold origami to place dishes on, every dish is placed at the same time for every guest, and even the pacing of the meal was incredible — there were no lulls, it felt incredibly smooth to transition between courses, and they don’t keep you there for hours and hours even though you’re being served 25 courses.
Next, the food. There’s no one serving this kind of food anywhere in the US — it brings the creative and scientific flair of Spanish gastronomy and combines it with Californian produce and more naturalist thinking which is a phenomenal combination. There genuinely was not a dish that was less than a 9/10 and the progression of courses was great too. It starts on a high and just keeps getting better. Even small details like crunchy dishes breaking perfectly rather than making a mess when you bite into them were considered.
A few dish highlights:
Shiso tempura topped with beef tartare – the combination of textures was beautiful in this dish and it was a lot lighter of a dish than I expected
Truffle sandwich with a truffle cream and anchovies – super decadent, but just pure bliss in a bite
Dungeness crab with finger lime, ras al hanout, espelette pepper, toasted crab head and coconut fat sauce – normally dungeness crab dishes are overwhelmingly rich with butter, but this one actually had a bit more of a punchy flavor from the spices which I loved
“Cow and her milk” – idiazabal cheese, hazelnut praline, vanilla apple cream. One of the most unique cheese courses I’ve had and I’m always a fan when restaurants go beyond just offering raw cheese and accompaniments as their cheese course and turn it into something more complete
Overall this is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in the US right now. I’m really hoping it’ll get 2 Michelin stars off the rip and honestly it’s already operating pretty close to if not at a 3 Michelin star level. Aitor is a perfectionist and he says there’s still a ton of stuff he wants to change so I can’t even imagine how much better it’s going to get in the coming months and years. Absolutely worth it to go!
by Ligiers
26 Comments
If only they accepted solo reservations!
That’s absolutely beautiful !
Too many flowers for my liking, but the plating is generally excellent. How much was the food component for this?
When and where do they release the reservation for somni??? And is it hard to get like hayato?
Going in two weeks so stoked
Presentation is fun and on point
They look incredible
All I could think was, wow! they discovered 3D printing!
Not that I’ll be in attendance but what’s the cost like?
Is it worth nearly $1000 per person?
Ok this has my attention. Thank you so much for sharing! What’s their reservation policy?
How challenging was securing this resy? Any tips
Im too young to have gone to the original el bulli, but having been to all of the original Somni, Disfrutar, and Enigma, I feel as Aitor best captures the essence of what el bulli would be like in 2025. I agree with you, Best restaurant I’ve been to in the USA
[https://media3.giphy.com/media/9V7qW099yYNyrgagqF/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952hpn5b4qeqm41xl2xqau13yoww5lc1on6ddnkfs3c&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g](https://media3.giphy.com/media/9V7qW099yYNyrgagqF/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952hpn5b4qeqm41xl2xqau13yoww5lc1on6ddnkfs3c&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)
Great pictures did you bring a camera
What a triumphant return!
What’s in picture 7? It looks like a beautiful red velvet cake sandwich
I was about to say “this looks world-class”, then I saw the price and thought “…that looks world-class too”. The total price is quite a lift, I wouldn’t mind paying if it was truly good but if I walked away with anything less than an above-median 3-star-level experience I’d be pretty angry so it’d be quite a risk.
(I suppose it’s actually not that bad because it includes a mandatory pairing, but as someone who barely drinks, it’s bad value for my particular case).
Are they eligible for a star cause they weren’t on the recent additions to Michelin guide? Wonder if they miss a criteria or something
This just looks incredible
Dad joke cuisine
Could you share the description for the donut looking dish?
Price?
Aitor is so serious and his food is so whimsical. It’s a good balance.
This is such a cute meal! I love the whimsy of the cow and the fish, the donut looks fake in a cool way. It seems really fun and delicious.
That bun on photo 9 kind of looks like a different shaped Chinese flower roll, and I’m quite surprised to see something like that here.