Chinato — Restaurant in New York

At first, they served a small glass of opening drink, but after the first round, we lost interest because the experience from the beginning was unpleasant. Even though we had made a reservation for three people, we were the second group to enter the restaurant, and the entire place was empty. However, a server inexplicably seated us at a two-person table. When we asked if we could move to a bigger table, she said she would check and then completely ignored us, attending to other tables instead. She even seated the other three people at a four-person table without following a first-come, first-served policy.

Later, we brought up the issue with another server, and after waiting for more than ten minutes, we inquired again. They then told us that all the four-person tables were full. We had to wait for nearly half an hour until all the four-person tables were occupied before they told us they couldn't accommodate us. We decided to let it go.

When we ordered, we added an order of fries, but the same server forgot about it and questioned us, asking if the fries had already been served and if we wanted to order more. It was frustrating. I had consumed three drinks, and I was more sober than she was. To make matters worse, when we received the bill, they charged us for three orders of fries. Thankfully, I double-checked. The overall experience was very poor. We still gave a 20% tip in the end.

To be fair, their drinks and food were just okay, nothing special. Although the server got confused about whether our seaweed fries were served and overcharged us, the only thing that is worst to try is the...

Opened in October 2023 by founder Guoxin “Ray” Zhou, Chinato is one of the hottest new openings in New York.  Zhou opened Chinato, with a name inspired by Barolo Chinato, the aromatized wine from Piedmont renowned for its bittersweet aromatic qualities derived from a blend of herbs and spices. However, the name comes from than just Zhou’s love for Barolo Chinato - Chinato cleverly combines "China" and "to”, reflecting Zhou’s Chinese upbringing and journey to NY, which he aims to celebrate with his new bar.

What sets Chinato apart from other bars in bustling New York is that is much more than a place to have a well-made cocktail. Its interior design, featuring a central island design with no front or back, encourages interaction between bartenders and guests, creating an immersive and inviting space ideal for sparking conversations.

The opening cocktail menu takes inspiration from music. “Tequila” was taken from the 1958 song of the same name performed The Champs. The recipe for this uniquely Mexican drink was inspired by a recent trip of Chinato’s chef, and features tequila reposado, tomato, yellow pepper, pineapple, habanero, corn, and lime. The ingredients are shaken and strained in a coupette and served with a...

Received reservations for the soft opening of Chinato headed by Ray Zhou, formerly of Double Chicken Please (DCP). Incredible cocktails, awesome ambiance, quality craftsmanship, and excellent service!

Of the 6 cocktails we sampled, in order the Tequila, Floating, Rum and Coke, Sugar Mama, Gin and Juice, and Chinato.

The Tequila cocktail was out of this world. The various layers of flavors were a unique sensory experience ranging from a bit of a kick to a subtle sweetness. Incredible cocktail.

The Floating and Rum and Coke were a close tie for us. The Floating received the slight edge over the Rum and Coke - the pandan itself propelled the Floating over the Rum and Coke, but R&C was a phenomenal cocktail in and of itself.

Every single cocktail was exceptional. What a great experience, and I almost guarantee that this establishment will become the next hot cocktail bar in NYC. I'm looking forward to visiting again and also seeing them crack the top 50 bars in the...