Chef Kwame Onwuachi Explores His Roots, and His New York Upbringing, at Tatiana

"Located in New York City’s Lincoln Center in the Upper West Side, this restaurant named for Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s sister is an homage to his West African, Caribbean, and Creole roots and a response to the site’s history as Old San Juan Hill, a predominantly Black and Afro-Latin neighborhood that was pushed out; he aims to “honor the people who made the city what it is.” The decor nods to New York in subtle ways, with gold chains recalling chain-link fences he used to hop and iridescent columns resembling the rainbow slick on asphalt after a fire hydrant goes off. The dining room draws a community from all walks of life—“you'll see somebody with a do-rag sitting next to somebody in a tuxedo going to the opera”—and the team sees themselves reflected in the cuisine and the music. Dishes are built with intention and storytelling—“If a dish tells a story, it has a soul”—as Onwuachi focuses on pushing the culture and creating safe spaces, a spirit of authenticity that keeps the restaurant buzzing." - Alexis Benveniste