Some restaurants impress you with splashy interiors and buzzy crowds. Others win you over with what’s on the plate. Casa Bond does both, effortlessly. It’s the kind of place where you lose track of time on a Friday night, where dinner stretches into drinks and drinks stretch into just one more.
For Chef Rodrigo Abrajan, the journey began in 1993 with nothing more than a taco pushcart. He went on to found East Harlem’s beloved El Paso Taqueria, and now he’s taken his talents downtown to the Bowery. At Casa Bond, he serves up traditional dishes that expand diners’ understanding of Mexican cuisine, one flavorful plate at a time.
Inside you’re instantly transported away from the chaos of NYC to the breezy streets of Tulum. Think swaying palm fronds, wood-beam ceilings, and stucco walls that whisper: vacation mode (at least for these two hours). A timeless black-and-white theme runs throughout the restaurant, allowing the botanicals a moment to shine. On the walls, you’ll find a mix of colorful murals by local artists.
The menu is equal parts authentic and playfully creative. Start with the Pistachio Guacamole, a house favorite that layers buttery avocado with grilled pineapple, fiery habanero, and crushed pistachios, amidst your usual guac fixings. It’s unexpected in the best way: smoky, sweet, spicy, and just interesting enough to make you pause between bites.
You can’t go wrong with the signature ceviches, but the standout is the Aguachile Negro, a dish you’ll be hard-pressed to find across New York’s Mexican food scene. Chef Rodrigo’s version follows a Sinaloa-style technique, slicing prime ribeye before it’s seared to a tender medium-rare, then crowned with yuzu, salsa negra, marisquera sauce, and a cloud of avocado foam. The result is a fiery, bold and complex, letting the fresh seafood do all the talking. The Quesadilla Verde is perfect for sharing, crafted with a spinach-jalapeño epazote, Oaxacan cheese and earthy cremini mushrooms, all pressed into a warm, fragrent masa tortilla.
When it’s time for the main event, go all in on the Duck Carnitas. The confit is fall-apart tender, nestled beside creamy alubias, pickled onions, and jalapeños. Build your own bites with warm, hand-pressed tortillas, spooning in esquites, fluffy rice, and pickled jalapeños like you’re at abuela’s Sunday table. Hailing from the Yucatán region, and notoriously hard to get right, the Cochinita Pibil is a pork shoulder, wrapped and slow-roasted in a banana leaf with achiote paste, cured lime onions, habanero and chile tetemado. The flavor profile is hard to put into words, but expect smoky, citrusy, with a slow-building heat that lingers.
Desserts are made with love. The Pastel Mixteco is a molten lava cake filled with 24-ingredient house-made Oaxacanita mole chocolate. The plate is sealed with toasted pine nuts and a scoop of nutty sesame seed ice cream. The final bite is just the right amount of indulgent.
The bar is a fine balance of craftsmanship and spectacle, the cocktails here are delicious, with ingredients like pineapple-infused pisco and hibiscus cordial. The Smokey Room mixes mezcal joven and silver tequila with passionfruit purée and pomegranate juice, it’s finished with a flamed orange peel that wafts across your table like perfume. There’s even a lychee martini that rivals some of Manhattan’s best, it’s flirty, fun, and dangerously easy to throw back. If you’re feeling fancy, there’s a gold beverage cart outfitted with 15 premium tequilas that can be served tableside.
Casa Bond
Website
334 Bowery, New York, NY
