T Bar On Manhattan’s Upper East Side Re-Opens And Is Already Jammed With Its Faithful Clientele

I’ve known restaurateur Tony Fortuna for decades, and his original T Bar on Third Avenue for 27 years, until it closed during the pandemic. In all that time he has always been one of the most genteel of hosts, born in Cassino, Italy, and after years of experience in haute dining rooms like Lutèce, Lespinasse, Lafayette and Tavern on the Green he’s a pro’s pro and has earned the respect of both his colleagues and his legion of faithful regulars who made T Bar something of an Upper East Side club, where families dropped by weekly. Many also frequent his T Bar in Southampton, Long Island.

Which is why there have been no radical changes to the basic menu in all those years, a marriage of American/Italian/Asian items and seasonal additions here and there but always keeping people’s favorites on the page.

What is a radical change at Fortuna’s new T Bar, opened with managing partner Derek Axelrod, is the design. Located near Bloomingdale’s in a three-story townhouse with a marble-and-glass entrance, it has a slender bar area with tables, a long main dining room with crystal chandeliers and flanked by velvet banquettes, and a downstairs private party room. Lighting is excellent. Stemware is fine, silverware has heft. It is, in a word, the epitome of modern New York swank and a far cry from the cozy intimacy of the original.

Not only are squads of faithful regulars already taking up many of the tables, including a remarkable number of women who appear all to have been to the same plastic surgeon (some should sue), and, yes, there are a few families of four or five on any given night. The dress is casual chic, with stretch jeans predominating on the women and men in shirts and sweaters.

At the moment the place can get exceedingly loud in the way too many New York restaurants try to be, but Fortuna is well aware of what he considers a problem in that regard and is planning additions to baffle the sound. Turning off the throbbing music would be a good start.

I don’t know if a generous serving of ten “angel wings” ($23)—I expected to hear a bell ring with each one eaten—has long been on the menu, but I hope it never comes off. Those nuggets, using very good chicken meat, are cooked with a tamarind glaze and skewered, a happy way to begin. Chef

Segundo’s meatballs ($22)—which can also be had with spaghetti ($32)—come as a quartet of full-flavored seasoned beef globes, good for a table of four to share, as is the “crispy sushi” ($36) that features eight pieces, two each of tuna, hamachi, salmon and a spicy tuna atop crispy rice. There’s a textbook version of a foie gras and chicken parfait ($22), creamy but not too soft, with a sweet-tangy cranberry compote and toasted bread. The bread, by the way, is very good, but you won’t get any until the appetizers arrive—unless you ask for it. Do so.

It’s good to see a revival at T Bar of crisp roasted duck—after decades of nothing but magret breast of duck fanned out on the plate. You get a fine, whole breast and leg with a light orange glaze and slices of pears ($46), most certainly a dish for two people. And a 14-ounce New York strip steak is, too, though $76 is considerably higher than some of the city’s steakhouse prices. You do, however, get pureed sweet potatoes on the side. Seared Chilean sea bass with steamed bok choy and a ginger glaze ($46) was succulent and delicious, while rare crusted tuna ($44) had a fine balance of soy, wasabi and crunchy seaweed salad that had more flavor than so many other bland examples I’ve had a round town.

Two sumptuous desserts are meant to be enjoyed by two or more people ($25 each): a banana parfait millefeuille with coconut and caramel sauce, and a strawberry sundae shortcake with meringue, brandy and cream. The rest can easily serve two people: warm apple crisp with caramel and vanilla ice cream ($18), and a French style cheesecake with the added delight of roasted strawberries ($16). The Australian meringue confection called Pavlova has become something of a dessert of the year, and it’s kind of silly, but I always find it a guilty pleasure, especially appended with mango ($15).

T Bar has a smaller wine list than I would have expected in such a glamorous restaurant, though there is a more than ample selection by the glass, starting at a reasonable $14. By the bottle there are about 50 selections, with an applaudable number under $75. Otherwise mark-ups are about as high as on similar lists around the city. Still, if you’re going to splurge on a Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 for $1,500 in a wine shop, you can get it at T-Bar for just $500 more—a mark-up of only 33%, when most restaurants up the price twice of three times retail.

The irony of running a restaurant in New York at this juncture is that if the owner and investors are willing to pay the rent (Fortuna got a sweetheart deal here), and you give people what they like in generous proportions, you are likely to be packed every night. So far, T-Bar has been, and should be, for good reasons.

T BAR

116 East 60th Street

212-772-0404

Open for lunch/brunch Mon.-Fri.; for dinner daily.