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The Upper West Side has cemented its place as a culinary destination this year, with two neighborhood restaurants–both of which opened in 2022–earning prestigious James Beard Award semifinalist honors for 2026.
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Chef Kwame Onwuachi of Tatiana was named a semifinalist in the Outstanding Chef category, while Chef Christophe Bellanca of Essential by Christophe earned a nod for Best Chef: New York State. Nominees will be announced on March 31, with winners celebrated at a ceremony on June 15 in Chicago.Kwame Onwuachi opened Tatiana inside David Geffen Hall in November 2022, naming it after his sister, who helped raise him while their mother worked as a chef. The location holds particular meaning for the Bronx-raised chef: before Lincoln Center was built, the area was San Juan Hill, a predominantly Black and Afro-Latin neighborhood that was displaced during construction.
The menu draws from Onwuachi’s varied background—Nigerian influences from time spent with his grandfather in West Africa, Caribbean flavors from his Jamaican heritage, and nods to the bodegas and roti shops of his Bronx childhood. Signature dishes include egusi dumplings with crab and sea bass and slow-braised oxtail with rice and peas.
Onwuachi, 36, took a winding path to get here. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and competing on Top Chef, his first restaurant in Washington D.C. closed after two months. He regrouped with Kith and Kin before returning to New York.
He won the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year award in 2019. Since Tatiana opened, the New York Times has ranked it the top restaurant in the city, and the World’s 50 Best Restaurants named it their One To Watch in 2023.
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Christophe Bellanca opened Essential by Christophe in December 2022 in the former Dovetail space at 103 West 77th Street.Bellanca trained in French kitchens for over three decades, working under chefs including Anne-Sophie Pic at Maison Pic and later serving as Culinary Director for Joël Robuchon’s U.S. restaurants. After moving to the United States in 2004, he held positions at L’Orangerie in Los Angeles, Le Cirque in New York, and the BLT Restaurant Group.
At Essential, he offers prix fixe tasting menus focused on seasonal ingredients and classical French technique. The restaurant earned a Michelin star in 2023 and has maintained it since. A bar area offers à la carte options for more casual dining.
Both restaurants opened within weeks of each other in late 2022 and have built followings that extend beyond the neighborhood. Whether either will advance from semifinalist to nominee—and potentially winner—will be revealed when the James Beard Foundation announces the next round in March.
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