Headliner
Ixta
What was Daniel Boulud’s modern kitchen and bar, adorned with French copper cookware, now pays homage to Mexico, specifically Tulum, the popular Yucatán destination. (Tulum is big this week; see below.) An elaborately decorated fantasyland with 165 seats, Ixta is the restaurateur Mike Himani’s largest undertaking to date. He and his partners say that they were also inspired by Oaxaca, and they’re certainly on target with an emphasis on mezcals. But the food, by the chef Francisco Blanco, who worked at Le Cirque, is more generally Mexican, with lots of contemporary touches, and long on seafood. Raw bar items, including ceviches, head the menu, which also lists a smoked salmon corn crisp, Caesar salad, a few tacos, whole branzino, halibut in a banana leaf and a whole suckling pig.
299 Bowery (East Houston Street), 917-732-4982, ixtanyc.com.
Opening
Casa TuLum
Beach house vibes befitting Tulum are delivered at this green oasis by the partners Luis Villanueva, a mixologist, and Rodrigo Abrajan, who is the chef. Coastal fare, not limited to the Yucatán Peninsula, includes seafood bar items like lobster ceviche and broiled oysters, a taco collection that touches on Baja California with a signature fish tempura, and main dishes like cochinita pibil. Tequilas and mezcals dominate the cocktails. (Opens Wednesday)
229 Front Street (Peck Slip), 212-433-5800, casatulumnyc.com.
tán
Richard Sandoval, the chef and prolific global restaurateur, is opening this expression of the Yucatean seashore, with the chef Jonatán Gómez Luna Torres, of Le Chique in Cancún. Tán fills a space that once housed Pampano, which was owned by Mr. Sandoval and the opera star Plácido Domingo. The seafood-forward restaurant will be serving aquachile tán with shrimp, potato and chiles; red snapper Tikinxic style, notably reddened with achiote and wrapped in banana leaves; lobster pozole; seafood enchiladas; and pork belly with charred eggplant purée.
209 East 49th Street, 917-388-2248, tannewyork.com.
Vin Sur Vingt Bistro
Sebastien Auvet, an owner of the Vin Sur Vingt French wine bars, will opening his first restaurant. It has a more substantial menu than what’s offered at the wine bars, with many bistro classics like escargots, leeks vinaigrette, onion soup, frisée aux lardons, roast chicken, moules marinières and côte de boeuf for two. (Thursday)
230 East 51st Street, 212-201-9180 vsvwinebars.com.
