Hav & Mar

Hav & Mar opened in 2022 in Chelsea’s landmark Starrett-Lehigh Building and immediately earned two stars from the New York Times for its exhilarating blend of Nordic and African culinary traditions. The restaurant’s name encodes its own story: ‘Hav’ is Swedish for sea, while ‘Mar’ is Ethiopian for honey, together representing the twin cultural streams that flow through the cooking of Ethiopian-born, Sweden-raised Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Executive Chef Fariyal Abdullahi, a James Beard Emerging Chef semifinalist, works alongside Samuelsson to bring this vision to life with daily rigor and creativity. The menu is organized around thoughtfully sourced seafood and seasonal greenmarket produce, prepared using both Swedish smoking, curing, and pickling traditions and the warm, deeply spiced sauces and preparations of Ethiopian and broader African-diaspora cooking. Signature dishes include the ‘Swediopian’ salmon cured in berbere spice and accompanied by apple water and avocado, and the Addis York, a platter featuring both Southern-fried chicken and doro wot, the classic Ethiopian chicken stew. The dining room is a dramatic space featuring original sculptures by acclaimed artist and restaurant co-owner Derrick Adams, whose work covers the walls and ceiling in a celebration of Black identity and creativity. The cocktail program features inventive drinks inspired by Samuelsson’s travels and a wine list spotlighting BIPOC and female producers. Hav & Mar also hosts a lively happy hour from Monday through Friday and private event spaces for groups of up to 250.