L’Amico is a new Italian restaurant in Chelsea.
Photos courtesy of L’Amico
From the open kitchen to the wood-fired oven, Michelin-starred Chef Laurent Tourondel’s L’Amico is polished without being precious. The new Italian restaurant, nestled inside Kimpton Hotel Eventi, is located on Sixth Avenue, a few blocks from the Empire State Building.
“We’re not just pizza, pasta, and meatballs,” Chef Laurent said. “It’s more elaborate.” He draws from the full breadth of Italian regional cooking, such as Milan, where fish and a wider variety of dishes take center stage. At L’Amico, the use of imported Italian products and locally sourced ingredients is prioritized, with the goal of maintaining authenticity.
“My grandmother was Italian, and she meant a lot to me. I grew up with family dinners, and that sense of tradition and togetherness is very personal to this restaurant,” said Chef Laurent.
At the heart of the restaurant is the wood-fired oven, which Chef Laurent treats as the soul of the kitchen.
A pasta dish from L’AmicoPhoto courtesy of L’Amico 
The Soppressata Picante pizza at L’AmicoPhoto courtesy of L’Amico
“The wood fire adds smokiness and depth of flavor, with ash circulating inside the oven to give a different character to all the ingredients,” he explained. “Everything is cooked in that wood oven — meatballs, broccoli, fish — which brings a unique consistency and flavor to the dishes.”
He developed the Neapolitan-style pizza dough himself, proofed over two days for depth and chew. The pasta, as well, is made completely in-house, from the dough to the sauces.
L’Amico’s menu is a reflection of Chef Laurent’s vision, from Antipasti to Secondi. It boasts items such as the sweet “Our Bread” baked with dried cherries and almonds and served with whipped ricotta, fresh pipe rigate with a rich veal rib and pancetta bolognese, and fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes topped with kumquat confit.
The menu shifts with the seasons, though Chef Laurent clarified that doesn’t mean flipping a switch on a calendar date. “Everything is based on the availability and quality of the product,” he said. “Right now, there’s probably some asparagus in the markets, but it’s too early. Maybe we test it and use it later in March, when it’s really at its best. We wait until the product is good, and then we make it happen.”
Photo by Adelaide Guan
His current excitement? The wood-roasted chicken. “It’s a dish that really reflects that transition,” he said of the shift from winter into spring.
On special occasions, Chef Laurent collaborates closely with Certified Sommelier Jason Hedges on the beverage program — crafting cocktail and champagne pairings for holidays like Valentine’s Day and Thanksgiving that complement what comes out of the kitchen.
For first-timers, Chef Laurent wants guests to come in knowing what makes L’Amico tick. “It’s important for people to know that we are a seasonal restaurant. We make fresh pasta, and everything is cooked in a wood-fired oven, in a beautiful copper-clad kitchen.”
L’Amico is located at 849 6th Ave in Chelsea. For reservations and more information, visit lamico.nyc.
Dining and Cooking