Before we left NYC for DC two years ago, my wife Jun and I went on a little tour of fine-dining restaurants we had visited while living in Manhattan. One of the revelations during that tour was Frevo, which we had visited in 2019 for Jun’s birthday. Back then, we remembered the restaurant, secretly tucked behind an art gallery in Greenwich Village, as a very good modern French restaurant but perhaps still a bit evolving to fully showcase its culinary philosophy. When we visited again in 2021, however, we were both surprised how much the restaurant had improved. We also became closer to the Portuguese restaurateur Bernardo Silva and the Brazilian chef Franco Sampogna on that visit, and since then whenever we visited NYC, Frevo became one of our go-to restaurants to visit (along with other favorites like Atomix and Aska). We always had a great time at the restaurant (I still can’t forget about the collaboration dinner the restaurant held with the acclaimed French restaurant Florilège in Tokyo last summer), and it was great to see Bernardo and chef Franco greet us like old friends. Over this summer, the restaurant was closed for renovations and reopened in late August. We went up to NYC in mid-September as I was planning a surprise big 40th birthday party for Jun in Manhattan. Since we had really only one night for restaurant dining during that trip, I decided to take her to Frevo and see how the restaurant had transformed. While the layout of the restaurant had not dramatically changed, we both liked how the counter now had wooden color to give more warmth to the dining space. More importantly, the menu had upgraded even more and we had quite a memorable meal.

Jun remarked when we sat down how she could see chef Franco’s menu had evolved from a more classically French cuisine to one that is more globally influenced. Maybe the collaboration with chef Hiroyasu Kawate at Florilège further inspired him to introduce new ingredients and techniques outside the previous boundary in which he was operating. That gradual yet impactful evolution, we both agreed, was executed with remarkable precision and ingenuity, starting with delicious bites like kinmedai fish in seaweed wrap like a playful take on sushi or artichoke-flavored pastry with Hokkaido sea urchin (which we gladly added as a supplement on top) that Jun was absolutely in love with. Last time we had visited the restaurant during the Memorial Day weekend, Jun also absolutely enjoyed a stunning dish of cuttlefish and quinoa with leche de tigre sauce and we were both glad it was back again during this meal. Instead of a standard bread menu, the restaurant surprised us just like our last visit with naan and tofu-based paste.

Other savory dishes that followed, like the fresh amberjack in tomato-flavored broth and accompanied by beetroot granita and the carrot mousse with orange beneath, would also be stars at any other fine-dining restaurants. The best dish of the night for me belonged to the sea bass that was grilled to perfection and accompanied by lentil and caviar supplement (full disclosure: the restaurant graciously comped the caviar which would have set us back $55 per person) to give a wonderfully complex mix of flavor. I’m glad the restaurant decided to include the always delightful Comte cheese with honey and truffle as part of the regular menu instead of an optional supplement. The main dessert of the night, a rich mound of chocolate with a hint of wasabi and porcini mushroom, was another fine example of how much the restaurant had elevated its craft when it comes to sophistication and elegance.

The restaurant used to be one of the best bargains among the fine-dining restaurants we had visited, and even now with the dinner ticket at $225 per person, I still believe it is one of the best steals in NYC. As always, the globally sourced wine list curated by the young sommelier Quentin Vauleon is superb and more than makes up for the fact that Frevo have a cocktail menu. The added warmth from the renovated dining space makes the restaurant one of the most unquestionably romantic places to enjoy a special evening. Despite all the amazing experiences we had had at Frevo, Jun and I sometimes wondered why the restaurant had not been getting the level of accolade we think it deserves (even after securing the first Michelin star); for instance, I believe Frevo would now easily be at least a three-star restaurant in New York Times. In any event, we don’t necessarily mind that the restaurant is still flying a bit under the radar in the New York dining scene, and are glad to keep Frevo our best-kept secret in our culinary journey for a long, long time.   

KenScale: 9.0/10 (Jun’s Score: 8.75/10)

Address: 48 West 8th St, New York, NY 10011

Website: https://frevonyc.com/

Reservation via Tock