Arva – Aman’s tribute to Italy’s rich culinary heritage
Bringing Aman’s global Italian dining concept to New York, Arva draws its name from the Latin word for ‘cultivated land’ that evolved into the English word ‘harvest’. Paying homage to Italy’s rustic, cucina del raccolto tradition (literally ‘harvest cuisine’), Arva’s menus feature the finest, sustainably sourced, seasonal ingredients grown in gardens and local farms and plucked fresh from the ocean.
Under the direction of Chef de Cuisine Dario Ossola, these ingredients are then transformed by the simple alchemy of the kitchen into uncomplicated, heart-warming dishes, made for sharing with family and friends.
Open throughout the week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Arva enjoys a corner setting on the 14th floor with terraces on two sides, making it an airy, light-filled space for refined yet casual all-day dining high above the urban whirl below. With a simple, elegant aesthetic evoking Italy’s bucolic, green, gold and terracotta landscapes, the restaurant features banquettes, textured screens and verdant foliage within to create a series of spaces around the central open kitchen. Floor-to-ceiling Grand Cru wine cabinets wrap the interior walls and the ceiling is accentuated by petrified wood carved in wave-like forms reminiscent of the Mediterranean sea bed – a further nod to the provenance of Arva’s cuisine.
Changing with the seasons to showcase the freshest seasonal produce, Arva’s menus will reveal Chef Dario Ossola’s culinary creativity honed most recently as Executive Chef of Aman Venice in his native Italy.
There he worked closely with three-Michelin starred Chef Norbert Niederkofler, whose pioneering work in sustainable gastronomy will continue to influence Arva at Aman New York. Niederkofler and other renowned chefs including Aman Tokyo’s Chef Musashi Hiroyuki will participate in the hotel’s regular series of gourmet pop-ups at both Arva and Nama, ensuring a continually evolving calendar of special events.
Seeking inspiration for Arva’s bold, soul-satisfying dishes in New York’s green environs, Arva will aim to source more than 75% of its ingredients locally. This will be achieved through partnerships with initiatives such as Grow NYC and Our Harvest, which together represent over 750 farmers and manage at least 100 farmer’s markets in and around New York City.
Bronx Fish Market will provide seafood, and guests can choose to drink tap or filtered Vero water, with a percentage of proceeds from those opting for Vero donated to The Billion Oyster Project, an initiative that aims to clean the local waterways.
Catering to all ages, Arva’s menus will be authentically Italian yet imbued with a distinct sense of place. Breakfasts range from spelt pancakes with whipped butter, blueberries and spiced New York maple syrup, to egg white frittata with wilted kale peperonata and arugula. The lunch and dinner menus feature an appealing selection of homemade antipasti, a variety of fresh pastas – maccheroncino, fusilli and ravioli among others – made in-house daily (including gluten-free), and delectable secondi dishes accompanied by greenmarket vegetables, intended for sharing.
Salt-encrusted black seabass, roasted Green Circle chicken with lemon and pee wee potatoes and Barnegat Light scallops with citrus and hazelnuts are complemented by platters from the grill: Arva’s charcoal oven takes pride of place in the open kitchen, imparting meat and fish dishes – whether bone-in halibut, dry-aged strip loin, or Elysian Field’s lamb rack – with smokey, wood-fired flavour.
