Chamberlains of London – Salt Bae’s NYC restaurant has finally opened its doors, and it’s not quite what you might expect. Nusret Gökçe, the Turkish chef behind the viral “salt-sprinkling” meme, is back with a new culinary adventure. While his restaurant is known for its hype, the reality of dining there is quite different. The food, while not terrible, leaves much to be desired. But the experience? It’s an entirely different story.
Let’s be clear, this restaurant is not about fine dining. The food doesn’t have to be impressive. It’s all about the experience and the Instagrammable moments. You come for the spectacle, not for an outstanding culinary journey. The prices are high, and the flavors don’t quite match the hype.
Salt Bae’s restaurant, located near Union Square, has gained attention for more than just its food. The space has been designed with style over substance, and it’s clear that the focus is on creating a brand, not a unique dining experience. Many diners report that the restaurant feels like a set designed for viral videos rather than a place to enjoy a meal.
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While the food doesn’t taste awful, it doesn’t taste like much of anything either. Take the Saltbae Baklava Shake ($24.95), for example. Served in a glass covered with pistachio shards, the shake tastes almost like nothing. It’s frothy and lacks the flavor you would expect from a dessert. The triangle of baklava placed on top is stale and salty, which is, at least, a flavor.
Then there’s the Wet Burger ($9.95), aptly named for its soggy and lackluster patty. The burger is the size of a child’s meal at a fast-food chain, and it tastes of cumin but otherwise lacks flavor. The Saltbae Burger ($22.50), which is served in a black bun, seems like it should be a stand-out item, but it’s similarly underwhelming. It’s tasteless and doesn’t offer anything that would make it worth the hefty price tag.
The Veggie Burger, with its pink bun, is intended to attract more female patrons. However, it tastes like peas and eggs. The burger was once free for women but is now complimentary for everyone, which doesn’t seem to help its reputation.
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One would think that truffle fries, a beloved dish, could never go wrong. Unfortunately, Salt Bae’s truffle fries taste like blanched potatoes, completely missing the rich flavor of truffle. The fries are aggressively fragrant but fall short on taste. If you’re hoping for a flavorful bite, you’ll have to work for it.
Each table comes with a large metal box of flaky salt, and you’ll likely need to use it liberally. The garlic mayo, which costs extra, is the only item that comes close to delivering flavor. It actually tastes like garlic, a rare find in this flavorless meal.
Salt Bae’s NYC restaurant isn’t about the food — it’s about the spectacle. You go there for the social media buzz and the chance to take photos with the chef himself. It’s more of a meme come to life than a place for an enjoyable meal. The restaurant is designed to make you feel like you’re part of something viral. From the set of black gloves that you wear to eat, to the over-the-top décor, it’s all about creating moments for Instagram.
The interior is reminiscent of a half-finished Starbucks Reserve, with uncomfortable booth seating. The restaurant is full of people in pea coats, more interested in snapping pictures than savoring the meal in front of them. But that’s exactly what Salt Bae wants. It’s all about the image, not the substance.
What can you really expect from a restaurant owned by a viral meme? It’s clear that Gökçe is capitalizing on his fame. His brand is built on viral moments, and his restaurant follows that formula. Should we be surprised that the quality of the food isn’t up to par? Probably not. The real draw of Salt Bae’s restaurant is the ability to say, “I was there.” It’s not about the taste — it’s about the experience and the bragging rights that come with it.
Just like other viral sensations, Gökçe is seizing the opportunity to turn his moment of fame into a profitable business. The question remains, is it worth it? Maybe not for the food, but definitely for the status.
In the end, dining at Salt Bae’s NYC restaurant isn’t really about enjoying a great meal. It’s about checking off a viral experience. The food may leave you unimpressed, but the memories — or at least the photos — are what matter. You’ll get to brag about the experience, even if the meal itself doesn’t live up to expectations.
But don’t say we didn’t warn you. Skip the Wet Burger and try not to get too distracted by the absurdity of the entire place. If anything, this restaurant is proof of how viral fame can be monetized, even if it means delivering something that’s more about the joke than the meal.
