Excellence. This is the word that got stuck in my head after the dinner. The Musket Room is New Zealand restaurant in Nolita that was opened by chef Matt Lambert back in 2013. This rustic and cozy restaurant will make you want to stay here all night and dine here every night. There are two rooms that can accommodate total of 70 guests. The entry room with old school bar and the main dinning room that is in the back of the restaurant overlooking a garden. The space is minimalistic, rustic, modern and romantic at the same time. I have to stay the ambience is very inviting and makes you feel comfortable.

The staff was very attentive, the meals were coming in timely manner and glasses with water were always full. We were well taken care of but left alone at the same time. It is very difficult to provide good attentive service without the feeling of bothering or checking on guests too frequently. The Musket Room finds that balance very well.

There are several menu options, you can order a la carte, 6 course or 10 course tasting menu. We decided to go with 6 course tasting menu. I think at this point that is our favorite way of experiencing any chef’s skills.

First we were offered some bread, you can choose between cheddar cheese brioche, rye or sourdough. We started with cheddar cheese brioche but as the dinner progressed we were served two other kinds upon our request. All three were warm, fresh and tasty. My favorite was sourdough served with slight salty butter. Then the dinner started

Cauliflower soup with curry and trout roe - Smooth, creamy and light soup with saltiness from the roe was flawless. This combination of flavors was so amazing, we knew right there the dinner was going to be special.

Ora salmon, quinoa, watercress and apple - what you imagine reading the ingredients is not what you receive. It was salmon tartare, with quinoa used as a crispy garnish and apples turned into jello. Extremely innovative way of presenting this standard sounding dish.

Quail, blackberries, bread sauce and roasted onions - beautifully plated two well seasoned pieces of quail with fresh blackberries. Bread sauce was thick and mild, initially I did not recognize what it was. Maybe because I have not tried bread sauce before. This was simple but very satisfying dish.

Lamb, heirloom grains, mint and sunchoke - I really enjoyed this hearty yet light dish, I expected the lamb to bring some heaviness to the dinner, yet it was medium done perfect piece of meat combined with heirloom grains that added more flavor to the meat itself.

Grapefruit with dill - this was served as palette cleanser with Chardonnay jello and some dill. This could almost be an actual dessert

Carrot cake, curd and chai - this round piece of cake with curd and chai meringue was amazing way to finish our dinner. As you may know from my previous posts it happens that the dessert is the weakest dish even at the best restaurants. Not here, The Musket Room delivered to the very end.

The winner dish of the night was cauliflower soup. Simply perfection.

For the first time there was nothing to complain about, nothing to point out or correct. No surprise the restaurant has received Michelin star, it fully deserves it. From the moment we entered the restaurant to the moment we left we were greeted, served and fed the best possible way. If you order tasting menu each guest receives a box of chocolates and jelly candies with beautifully sealed menu as a complimentary gift. Nice way of saying ‘Thank You’ to the guests.

This is a place I want to or rather I need to come back to experience more creations of chef Lambert. Absolutely the best place we have visited so far.

Cuisine: New Zealand

Avg price per person: $75

Attire: Casual

Overall Rating: 5 plates