With a menu that centres around tabletop grills and featuring private karaoke booths, Upstairs at Ssäm Bar offers a playful and interactive dining experience with some show-stopping views over New York City’s East River.

Located on the upper floor of Momofuku Ssäm Bar (which moved to Pier 17 of the South Street Seaport in Autumn of 2021 following a 15-year residency in the East Village), Upstairs at Ssäm Bar brings Momofuku chefs out of the kitchen to prepare meat and seafood dishes at each table’s personal tabletop grill. Expect the likes of grilled prawns, 55-day dry-aged ribeye, and Australian wagyu; all cooked to perfection in front of diners’ very own eyes.

Chefs expertly prepare meat and seafood dishes at each table’s personal tabletop grill.

Nodding to its waterfront location, interiors – by multidisciplinary design studio DesignAgency – feature notes of blue-green and neutral wood. A wall of windows offers views over the harbour and flows seamlessly into a custom, handmade jade tile installation from Glithero, which features brightly lit impressions of aquatic botanicals. Dark blue leather banquettes and green velvet chairs surround tables that can house up to 36 diners, whilst two karaoke rooms can also comfortably seat up to ten guests each.

Tabletop grilling might provide the wow factor, there are also more Momofuku treats on offer. There’s raw dishes such as Maine uni with ham chawanmushi and trout roe; sea scallops with ham xo, kohlrabi and lime; and house salads, pickles, sauces alongside a dedicated section to potato rösti. The beverage program, meanwhile, offers an extensive selection of wine, signature and frozen cocktails, beer, sake and non-alcoholic beverages. David Chang’s culinary whizz-kids leave little stone unturned.

Celebrating the energetic side of New York City, Upstairs at Ssäm Bar is open Friday and Saturday, capping an already impressive venture with another layer of style and substance.

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Upstairs at Ssäm Bar Photography, Andrew Bezek.