A Jewel-Box Omakase Spot Sets Up Shop in the East Village

In just 250 square feet tucked between Manhattan’s Avenues B and C, Bar Miller seems purpose-made to stop passersby in their tracks. Burled oak walls and an aged tin ceiling enclose a scene-stealing jade green quartzite omakase bar that overlooks a lacquered maroon wine bar. Branding and design studio Polonsky and Friends prioritized the placement of artisan-made wares, from the bathroom’s lighting by Pablo Bolumar and Claire Dufournier, ceramics by Helen Levi and fefostudio, and Hollie M Kelley’s hand-painted wallpaper mural. The eight-seat counter serves a 15-course omakase that changes daily, but visitors can anticipate pairing dishes like pickled oysters in nori sauce and chawanmushi and smoked uni with an expressive beverage program of orange wines and unpasteurized sakes.

Photography by Nicole Franzen.