Vespertine

Little, if anything, about Vespertine follows the rules of traditional dining. For starters, the restaurant, which opened in July 2017, is housed in a building that looks like a cross between a spaceship and a waffle. Its servers speak as little as possible, so as not to distract from the overall experience. It has its own musical score, which composers Jeremy Galindo and Christopher Royal King describe as “an aural microcosm.” And its menu is full of bold flavor combinations, such as scallops with salted plum, smoked bone marrow and crystallized onion; and endive with almond, geranium, black lime and roe. Depending on whom you ask, the 18-plus-course tasting menu, which starts at $250 per person, is either crazy good—or just plain crazy. “We’re a weird restaurant, because we don’t fall into a specific category,” says founder and chef Jordan Kahn, who refers to his establishment as a “living organism.” “All we have any interest in is creating a beautiful memory for somebody.” —Megan McCluskey