Contento NYC in East Harlem

What's it like to visit a restaurant built on the principles of inclusion and physical access ?

It’s best described as a sense of relief mixed with excitement. Relief knowing you’ll get somewhere that is accessible, that has an accessible restroom (yes! that’s a big deal as oftentimes smaller, older restaurants tend to not have one) and that their staff have encountered and served people with disabilities. The exciting part is experiencing a new, hot spot, one that was created with inclusion in mind. PLUS, it’s the first time Annie and I were going to have a drink at an accessible bar!

Contento NYC recently opened in East Harlem with countless praises from many prominent press orgs and food writer gurus. It is the brainchild of Sommelier Yannick Benjamin who partnered up with George Gallego, Oscar Lorenzzi, Mara Rudzinski, and Lorenz Skeeter. Yannick became a paraplegic at the age of 25 never gave up on his dream to open a restaurant which he credits to his stubbornness. Read more about his incredible story and the team’s inclusive approach on this Resy blog.

We were eager for our visit to check out the new spot and to be honest, we hadn’t been out for a decent meal together the entire year. On top of that we had a photoshoot for an upcoming magazine, a first milestone for us, so there were plenty to look forward to. We spent two hours between the shoot, socializing and finally getting down to our meal. We sampled several delicious wines (it’s a stellar wine list carefully curated to reflect affordable unique wines) and a variety of items from the menu: Panisse, Crispy Yuca, Octopus, Ceviche, Salmon, Pork Katsu, Contento Burger, Chocolate Mousse and Olive Oil Cake, all delicious. Standouts are the Pork Katsu, Octopus, Ceviche, Burger and Olive Oil Cake!

Yannick and Mara were gracious hosts allowing us to use the space, they along with the rest of the team exemplified the meaning of welcoming, unpretentious and inclusive hospitality. The truth is we left more than just contented, we left with full bellies and full hearts, and with enormous hope that the world is moving towards more inclusion for the disabled community.

Contento NYC Visual Description: Ex posed red brick walls on both sides, one side with a darker fill in, the other lighter. As you enter, the left wall has two large colorful (turquoise, pink and green pops out) local art pieces. The wall in front of the small open kitchen in the rear of the room is wallpapered in black with gold accents. A small wine storage area is visible through a spiral decorated piece of ironwork. The open kitchen is often busy with a few cooks preparing the meals. On the right of the restaurant is the bar area and behind the bar is a full wall of more wines and wine glasses. There is a long yellow banquet seating against the left wall with tanned tables then a single chair facing the other side of the table. The room is dotted with occasional small bouquet of flowers. Entrance and front walls are panels of glass which are all retractable.

Accessibility and Tips:
- Feel free to let the team know what time your pick-up will be to pace your meal.
- Adaptive eatingware is available upon request.
- One family, unisex accessible restroom with a changing table. Note it can only fit one wheelchair and a caretaker.
- Accessible seating indoors and outdoors.
- Half of the bar is at wheelchair accessible level.
- Don’t be shy to ask them to speak up or turn the music off.
- They love celebrating life so be sure to tell them your special moments.
- It can be crowded at dinner hours so reserve your table ahead of time and plan accordingly.
- Up to date menus are online for screen readers.

Website: https://www.contentonyc.com/
Address & Contact Info:
88 East 111th Street
Tel: 646-410-0111
Email: Info@ContentoNYC.com

Important: Information is subject to change, please visit https://www.contentonyc.com/ for the most up to date details.
Oct 2024