I have been a fan of Gray Kunz since he was at Lespinasse in the St. Regis. The way he fuses his old world Swiss culinary background with a touch of Asian exoticism has seduced me from the first revelation of a veal dish with fava beans and ginger that I tasted in the late ‘90s in the Trianonesque dining room at Lespinasse. He manages to merge the powerful tastes of Europe’s master chefs in amazingly light, delicate dishes. So his meals provide the range and satisfaction of a three Michelin-star meal without ever making you feeling overfed.

When he opened Café Gray in the Time Warner building, I found the food was equally memorable as that at Lespinasse, if slightly less fancy to match the low-key surroundings. Now that Kunz has taken over the former Aquavit space (in a brownstone once inhabited by members of the Rockefeller family), I would add his new restaurant, Grayz, to the city’s top tables and will be disappointed if he isn’t rewarded with three-star status by the critics. In a warm and lively dining room (with cork walls and brown-glass bead chandeliers), he is making a very modern statement that truly excellent meals do not have to be served with formality—after all, casual Fridays is already a decades-old phenomenon. His waiters are enthusiastic acolytes who are clearly thrilled to be working here and probably do get to try everything as their passion for the dishes they describe is contagious.

Book a table here as soon as you can.