Cosme
Enrique Olvera opened Cosme on East 21st Street in 2014, and the corn husk meringue still closes the meal. The MICHELIN inspector's instruction is that there must be one. Cosme took No. 22 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2021.
Why go
Cosme grills its scallops al pastor style, and the duck carnitas is portioned for two. Gustavo Garnica runs the kitchen day to day and came through Noma, Narisawa, Frantzen, Osteria Francescana and Pujol.
Cosme is a dark room with the tables set well apart, and the menu is short and expensive. It carries no star, Green Star or Bib Gourmand in the 2025 New York selection. Ligaya Mishan left it off her hundred best restaurants in May 2026. I have not found a review of it by a named New York critic.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the uni tostadas, smeared with bone marrow.
- Order: the duck carnitas.
- Avoid: turning up for lunch. The kitchen serves dinner only, seven nights.
What locals & experts say
- The MICHELIN inspector:
Roomy dining tables, soft lighting and a succinct menu of inspired Mexican dishes make for a good, if a touch pricey, experience.
1 - Alex Husic, The World's 50 Best: on the menu,
typical Mexican staples such as mole and tlayudas anchor the offerings, but nothing is predictable.
3 - Daniela Soto-Innes won The World's Best Female Chef in 2019 while she was here. That award belongs to her and travels with her.3
Good to know
- Where: 35 East 21st Street, in the Flatiron.
- Price: 50 Best posts a tasting menu from $122, and the guide prints the room at four dollar signs.
Verdict
should-visit — Take the bar up front if you have not booked; it pours its own seasonal list and it fills. Drink mezcal here, because that is the deep end of the list. A large party is served family style off a set menu, and the private room at the back holds fourteen.