A letter from Nolita · Manhattan
Estela
Ignacio Mattos's second-floor Nolita room — small plates, natural wine, no white tablecloths
A walk-up above a bar on Houston
Ignacio Mattos came out of Francis Mallmann's Los Negros in Argentina, then Chez Panisse in Berkeley, then the kitchen at Isa in Williamsburg. In 2013 he and his partner Thomas Carter opened Estela in a walk-up above the bar Ed's, one floor over East Houston.
There were no white tablecloths. There was a wine list longer than the food menu. The bet was that a small, wine-forward room could still cook seriously — that scale was a limit on food, not proof of it.
Two stars, a Michelin, and the Obamas
The bet paid. Pete Wells gave Estela two stars. Michelin gave it one. Barack and Michelle Obama walked up the stairs one night in 2014.
The style of cooking — composed, layered small plates built around just a few ingredients per plate; sourdough breadcrumbs and cured fish doing the seasoning work — arrived just before small plates became a New York cliché. It has never felt like a cliché at Estela.
The Nolita benchmark, twelve years on
The room helped define the wave of chef-driven Nolita rooms that followed in the mid-2010s. More than a decade later, Estela remains the neighborhood benchmark and still holds its Michelin star. The list of restaurants Mattos and Carter went on to open — Café Altro Paradiso, Corner Bar, Lodi — makes sense once you understand that the whole hospitality group starts here.
With gratitude,
Ignacio Mattos
Chef-Owner, Estela
Order this
The dishes that made Estela
Endive salad with walnuts & Ubriaco Rosso
The cover of the Estela cookbook — endive cups with sourdough crumbs, Barolo-must-dusted cheese, orange juice.
Ricotta dumplings with mushrooms & Pecorino Sardo
Featherlight dumplings hidden under mandolined mushroom caps in an intense broth.
Burrata with salsa verde & charred bread
Burrata swimming in a pool of juiced herby greens; charred bread on the side.
Good to know
Estela, answered
Should I book, and how far ahead?
Yes — the room is small and up a staircase; walking in is not really the play. Book on Resy about two to three weeks ahead for prime time, or grab a Tuesday early-slot the day-of.
What should I order at Estela?
The endive salad and the ricotta dumplings, both since day one. Then let the kitchen steer — the menu changes constantly and the pastas often surprise.
Is Estela a natural-wine restaurant?
Yes, natural-leaning. It's one of the more interesting lists in Manhattan and Thomas Carter helped shape the New York natural-wine scene. Ask the somm to point you rather than ordering by the glass.