Hav & Mar
Marcus Samuelsson runs Scandinavian seafood through Ethiopian seasoning here, and the dish to order is the Addis York: doro wot rolled inside injera, served with a fried drumstick.1 Neha Talreja rated it 7.9.
Why go
The premise is two of Samuelsson's own countries on one card, carried in the seasoning: awaze, dawadawa and berbere lighting up Scandinavian fish, with Thai basil, salsa verde and andouille turning up as well.1 A big circular bar sits in the middle of the room and it is where the Bunna Martinis come from. Mermaid murals run across the walls. Samuelsson also runs Red Rooster in Harlem, and this is the seafood room.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the Addis York. Talreja says switching the texture of a doro wot you already know is what makes it worth ordering.1
- Order: the Hav bread basket. Teff biscuits, blue cornbread and injera crisp, with honey butter, shiro hummus and tomato chutney. Put the honey butter between the teff biscuits.1
- Order: a Bunna Martini at the circular bar.1
- Avoid: the Swediopian, which is the dish the restaurant built to explain itself.1
What locals & experts say
- Neha Talreja, The Infatuation, 6 October 2023, rating it 7.9:
Hav & Mar's proof-of-concept is a dish called the 'Swediopian,' but don't feel like you have to order the forgettable slabs of salmon, cured with barely perceptible berbere. Instead, get the Addis York.
1 - Talreja on the menu's reach:
You'll find a lot of Scandinavian-inspired seafood dishes, lit up with Ethiopian flavor from awaze, dawadawa, and berbere... This kitchen has wide open borders.
1
Good to know
- Booking: book it. The kitchen stops early.1
- Groups: the room takes them. Talreja files it under big groups and date nights both.1
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Jbf nominee 2024"
Verdict
should-visit — Marcus Samuelsson runs a seafood room in West Chelsea, and Neha Talreja rated it 7.9. Book it, and skip the Swediopian, which is the dish the restaurant built to explain itself. The kitchen stops early.