Next Door by Wegmans — Restaurant in New York

I visited Wegmans' new Japanese fusion restaurant for their opening night, arriving for the first seating at 5:30pm. I went in with high expectations and was genuinely impressed by the overall experience.

Would I return? Absolutely yes. My intent to recommend is high, especially for special occasions or serious food enthusiasts. With some minor refinements, this restaurant could be on track for a Michelin star, with service and presentation already at a 10/10 level.

From the moment we were seated, the service was truly exceptional. Daniel, our knowledgeable server/sommelier, guided us through our evening with expertise and warmth, while the General Manager Nick went above and beyond by personally visiting our table multiple times throughout our meal. When we mentioned wanting to experience signature dishes beyond traditional sushi offerings, Nick thoughtfully curated a personalized tasting menu featuring their most unique creations. This level of attention and customization made our first visit feel special and demonstrated the staff's genuine commitment to creating a memorable dining experience despite it being their opening night.

We decided to share everything to sample more of their offerings, which worked perfectly despite the smaller portion sizes.

The seared hokkaido scallop with shredded truffles was outstanding - it literally melted in my mouth, especially with the added uni on top. A bit pricy.. was it worth it.. yes...

The half lobster with ginger tarragon butter and lime dashi was expertly prepared, with the meat removed and placed back in its shell, making it incredibly easy to eat with chopsticks without any work required.

The Chilean seabass wrapped in cedar wood with yuzu miso marinade was the absolute highlight of our meal. Incredibly soft with perfect flavor balance - creamy, savory with a hint of sweetness.

We also ordered the tuna tataki with sweet onion and maple-soy dressing, which was slightly disappointing for a restaurant of this caliber - it tasted like frozen Ahi tuna, rather than a bluefin species... this dish was very flavorful though and could greatly benefit from a higher quality tuna.

The koji marinated cauliflower with shiso chimichurri and miso walnuts was acceptable but needed improvement - it was slightly undercooked and would benefit from blanching before baking.

Our meal ended on a high note with handmade mochi for dessert, which featured a beautiful presentation, soft texture, and deliciously creamy filling.

The restaurant features an open kitchen sushi bar concept with a drink bar, though it's not an omakase experience where you order directly from the chef. The ambiance has potential but needs refinement - the lighting was too bright for dinner service, especially at opening time. More targeted lighting to highlight the beautiful dishes would enhance the dining experience and create a more intimate atmosphere.

This is definitely a pricey dining experience, but the quality of most dishes justifies the cost. The combination of excellent service, stunning presentation, and exceptional food makes it a standout...

I’d been curious about Next Door by Wegmans since it opened earlier this year and finally had the chance to dine here this weekend. I’d had the fatty tuna and salmon from the Wegmans fish market downstairs previously, so I knew the quality of the fish would be good, but had read some mixed reviews about this place. It completely exceeded my expectations, though, and we had a lovely evening overall.

From the outside, the restaurant looks upscale, but the entrance is inside the grocery store, which may kind of downgrade the experience. Once you walk in, though, you’re greeted by friendly servers into a modern, spacious dining area.

I would say highlights for me were: the service the quality of the food the atmosphere

Service In the beginning, service was a bit slow and it took a while to be able to order and to get our drinks and appetizers. We didn’t complain or anything, but they brought us a complimentary dish that we were considering ordering as one of our appetizers. We were pleasantly surprised and it was a delicious dish. Then, there was a bit of a miscommunication regarding wasabi with one of our orders. But this was also handled very professionally (as it would have been in Japan, which is not as common here). Nick was very personable and offered me another glass of prosecco—he actually brought me a glass of Pommery, which I really enjoyed.

Food Everything we tried was absolutely delicious. I really liked that they had a variety of non-sushi dishes as well, especially vegetables.

lobster miso soup x2 - This is seasonal and not cheap, but a must try! It tasted more like lobster bisque than miso soup, but I love lobster bisque, so it was perfect for me.

grill shishito peppers - You can’t really go wrong with shishito peppers, but this comes with a tofu dip and salt on the side. I’m not a garlic-lover, so I used the salt and it was very nice.

grilled seasonal mushrooms - This came with maitake tempura and grilled maitake—I especially enjoyed the tempura.

nigiri variation (9 pieces) x2 - You get one piece of each nigiri listed on the nigiri menu. Although they are fresh and of high quality, they are very very small. So it’s easy to eat, but may not be enough for the average person. They do put fancy toppings on (which I actually prefer without, so I can enjoy the fish itself without caviar or jalapeños overpowering the sushi…). My favorites were the otoro (fatty tuna) / chutoro (semi-fatty tuna), hotate (scallop) and uni (sea urchin).

Atmosphere With a stylish decor, high ceilings and spaced out tables, it has a chic, comfortable atmosphere. The one lowlight would be that they only have one bathroom. (There is one inside the grocery store, but it’s apparently not as nice).

When you consider the portions (especially sushi), it may be on the pricier side, but the quality is definitely there and it’s worth it for the overall dining experience. I look forward to...

Update: After my last visit, Joseph from Next Door reached out with a thoughtful and sincere apology, explaining that they take allergies and aversions seriously and wanted the chance to make things right. I appreciated the gesture—and even more so, what happened when I returned.

On my second visit, things went much more smoothly. John and Chris both came over to speak with me, and their care and attention really shifted our whole view of the experience. The fish continues to hold up to the previous quality—fresh, clean, and well-prepared—but this time, the service matched it.

Anyone can have an off night, but how a place responds says everything. I feel like Next Door genuinely did that.

Previous Review: Stopped by during opening week, always a gamble, and this one delivered the full spectrum.

Let's start with the good: the 9-piece nigiri was the best thing we had, super fresh, cleanly cut, and balanced. The edamame, though portioned like a side of garnish, was brightened nicely by the yuzu salt.

The prices on wine and sake are bold, and a week in the first three options we ordered were unavailable. Service was earnest but clearly still finding its rhythm, very slow, and courses came out in fits and starts. That's forgivable in week one.

What isn't forgivable: I mentioned at the start that I can't do wasabi--strong aversion, borderline allergic response--and still ended up with it in a tartare where it wasn't listed as an ingredient. The person who took our order didn't know it was in there, and when I brought it up, nothing was done to address it. No swap, no comp, no apology, just a shrug.

So: lovely fish, solid potential, but a serious misstep on the allergy front. Be very careful here if you have any dietary restrictions.

Good fish, but mid at this price point in a city that's full of excellent imported...