Est. 1987 · Roma, Italia · New York City
Born in the kitchens of Rome in 1987, Velatura has always existed at the intersection of memory and invention. Our name — borrowed from the ancient glazing technique of Italian painters — speaks to our philosophy: layers built with intention, each one revealing something deeper than the last.
"We do not merely cook food. We compose it — note by note, until something irreducible emerges."
Chef Marco Ricci trained under the great Marchesi before bringing his vision to the American table. Every dish that leaves our kitchen carries the weight of that lineage and the lightness of something entirely new. The fire is old. The flame is ours.
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 5:00 — 10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 5:00 — 10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 5:00 — 10:30 pm |
| Friday | 5:00 — 11:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12:00 — 2:30 pm & 5:00 — 11:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12:00 — 9:00 pm |
Bar & lounge opens one hour before dinner service. Walk-ins welcome at the bar. Private dining available Tuesday through Thursday.
Our cellar is tended by Sommelier Elena Ferrante, whose selections trace the full arc of the Italian peninsula — from the volcanic minerality of Etna to the ancient limestone of the Langhe. Bottles are offered at twice-retail or below; by-the-glass pours change weekly. Ask your server for the current Coravin selections.
Each spring, Chef Ricci re-imagines six dishes around what is growing in that precise week — the first ramps from the Hudson Valley, artichokes from Castrovillari, wild morels from the Catskills. The following compositions are available as individual courses or as a dedicated six-course tasting sequence at $145 per person.
Hidden behind the kitchen — accessible through a private entrance on Mercer Street — the Chef's Table at Velatura is the most intimate dining experience we offer. Seating no more than twelve guests, it places you at the threshold of creation itself.
Chef Ricci designs each evening personally: seven courses that move through the full compass of Italian culinary tradition, punctuated by produce arriving that morning, wines chosen the same afternoon. No menu is printed in advance. Every evening is singular, unrepeatable.
A dedicated sommelier guides an optional wine pairing — eight pours, each selected to illuminate rather than accompany the food. The kitchen team is visible throughout the meal; silence and theatre are served in equal measure.
Velatura is built on craft, curiosity, and the quiet conviction that a meal should leave the diner changed. We seek people who share that conviction — whether in the kitchen, on the floor, or in the cellar. Ours is not a culture of hierarchy for its own sake; it is a culture of mentorship, discipline, and the daily pleasure of doing something extraordinarily well.
Don't see a role that fits? We keep a rolling file of exceptional candidates. Send a brief note and your résumé to careers@velatura.com — we read every letter and respond to those that move us.