Yamasaki and Bueno: Luxury Hospitality, Design & A Tale of Two Worlds | INLOVE
Yamasaki and Bueno NYC bring two dramatically different culinary worlds together beneath the same historic roof in Manhattan’s Financial District.
At one of Manhattan’s most storied addresses, two dramatically different culinary worlds have emerged beneath the same historic roof.
Located inside a former bank building at 25 Broad Street, directly across from the New York Stock Exchange, Yamasaki Restaurant & Bar and Bueno Restaurant & Bar arrive as ambitious additions to the Financial District’s evolving social landscape. One looks toward Japan with precision, refinement and theatrical elegance. The other captures the warmth, sensuality and celebratory spirit of Latin America.
Together, they create a destination that feels less like a traditional restaurant opening and more like the unveiling of an entirely new downtown universe.
Long before it became home to Yamasaki and Bueno, 25 Broad Street was one of New York City’s great financial landmarks.
What distinguishes Yamasaki and Bueno NYC is not simply their contrasting cuisines, but the completely different worlds they create beneath the same historic roof.
Completed in 1902, the Broad Exchange Building was designed by the renowned architectural firm Clinton & Russell, whose work helped define Lower Manhattan during the city’s financial boom. At the time of its completion, it was considered the largest office building in America and one of the most valuable commercial properties in Manhattan. The building is now both a New York City Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Chef Steve Song’s Culinary Vision
Leading both concepts is Chef Steve Song, whose career spans more than three decades.
His résumé includes work at internationally respected restaurants including Masa, Bar Masa, ABC Kitchen, and Aqua Kyoto in London.
Rather than creating identical menus, Song developed two culinary identities.
With Yamasaki and Bueno NYC, 25 Broad Street enters a new chapter shaped by dining, nightlife and contemporary hospitality.
Under Song’s culinary direction, Yamasaki and Bueno NYC offer two distinct interpretations of contemporary Manhattan dining.
Together, Yamasaki and Bueno NYC demonstrate how dramatically different culinary identities can coexist within one historic destination.
As Lower Manhattan continues to evolve, Yamasaki and Bueno NYC reflect the Financial District’s growing identity as a destination for dining, nightlife and hospitality.
The dual concepts were introduced by SK Hospitality Group under the culinary direction of Chef Steve Song, whose three-decade career has included experience at Masa and Bar Masa, ABC Kitchen and Aqua Kyoto in London. Rather than duplicate a single formula across two floors, Song developed two distinctive identities—each shaped by its architecture, atmosphere and emotional energy.
The architecture itself tells the story of old New York. Massive granite at street level supports a towering façade of brick and terra cotta, crowned by an ornate copper cornice. During an extensive historic restoration, architects carefully recreated decorative elements that had disappeared over the decades using archival photographs, restoring the building to much of its original 1902 grandeur.
Today, what was once a symbol of Wall Street’s financial power has become a destination where architecture, history and hospitality coexist.
Yamasaki: Japanese Precision Meets New York Grandeur
Situated on the ground floor, Yamasaki unfolds through soaring proportions, glistening chandeliers and the stately architectural presence of the former bank. Original showroom windows bring the surrounding Financial District into view, while the restaurant’s grand interior creates a sense of occasion before the first plate ever arrives.
With seating for approximately 200 guests and a prominent 12-seat bar, Yamasaki was conceived as a modern Japanese restaurant that can transition effortlessly from sophisticated lunches and after-work cocktails to romantic dinners and late-night celebrations.
Its menu balances Japanese discipline with contemporary New York confidence. Guests may experience a seven-course tasting menu featuring dishes such as toro tartare with caviar, nigiri, uni pasta, miso-glazed black cod and Wagyu ribeye. The à la carte selections extend from crispy tuna rice and salmon tataki to A5 Wagyu donburi, sizzling miso pork belly, Chilean sea bass, signature rolls, sashimi and individually selected nigiri. Wine, sake and craft cocktails complete the experience.
Signature dishes include:
- Toro Tartare with Caviar
- Uni Pasta
- Miso Black Cod
- A5 Wagyu Donburi
- Premium Nigiri
- Sashimi
- Omakase-inspired tasting experiences
The restaurant balances traditional Japanese techniques with contemporary New York presentation.
Earlier materials describing the concept also highlighted Yamasaki’s broader Asian influences, including inspirations drawn from Japanese izakaya culture, Nikkei cuisine and elements associated with Korean, Thai and Indonesian kitchens. The restaurant has emphasized made-to-order dishes, premium ingredients and a cocktail program incorporating flavors such as yuzu, lychee, lemongrass, sake and shochu.
Yet Yamasaki’s power is not found in the menu alone. It lies in the contrast between the restraint of Japanese culinary tradition and the unapologetic grandeur of its surroundings. This is Japanese dining expressed through a distinctly Manhattan lens: polished, magnetic and designed to be remembered.
Bueno: A Seductive World Beneath the City
If Yamasaki represents light, precision and ceremony, Bueno offers a descent into something richer, darker and more provocative.
Reached through a discreet sidewalk staircase, the lower-level restaurant and lounge reveals multiple seating areas, an oversized bar and an intimate glass-enclosed private dining room. Its main dining room lies beyond the building’s original bank-vault door, creating one of the most dramatic entrances in downtown dining.
Inside, merlot-toned banquettes and warm lighting soften the monumental architecture. Original brass safety-deposit boxes rise along the walls, transforming the building’s financial history into a striking decorative feature. The dining room accommodates approximately 180 guests, but its deep colors, curved seating and layered lighting create an atmosphere that can still feel private and seductive.
Bueno’s culinary identity is rooted in Latin American flavors, with particular attention to premium Argentinian steaks, seafood, ceviches, shared plates and cocktails. Published menu highlights include salmon tiradito, chipotle tuna tartare, white-fish ceviche, black-cod chicharrón, short-rib empanadas, wild-mushroom and truffle croquettes, hand-pressed tacos, mojo sea bass, duck breast and Cuban-style salmon.
The experience is intentionally designed to continue beyond dinner. Bueno operates as both restaurant and lounge—a place where cocktails, music, private celebrations and downtown nightlife become part of the same narrative. Even the conclusion is theatrical: adult guests have been offered alcohol-infused cotton candy as a playful final gesture.
Bueno is not simply an Argentinian steakhouse or a Latin restaurant. It is an atmospheric interpretation of Latin hospitality: generous, passionate and alive with possibility.
Two Restaurants, One Historic New York Address
What makes the project especially compelling is the conversation between its two identities.
Yamasaki is luminous and composed. Bueno is intimate and intoxicating. One celebrates the artistry of Japanese precision; the other embraces the rhythm, warmth and sensuality of Latin America. The historic building becomes the unifying thread—its soaring architecture, vaults and financial heritage offering both restaurants a sense of permanence that contrasts beautifully with their contemporary energy.
The restaurants officially opened together in June 2026 as the Financial District continued its transformation from a predominantly daytime business district into a neighborhood with a growing residential, culinary and nightlife identity.
In a city filled with restaurants competing for attention, Yamasaki and Bueno understand an essential truth: modern luxury is not only about what is served. It is about how a place makes its guests feel.
The Evolution of Dining in Lower Manhattan
For more than a century, 25 Broad Street represented commerce, finance and investment.
Today, it represents something entirely different.
Instead of brokers rushing through marble halls, guests linger over sushi, Argentine steaks, handcrafted cocktails and live conversation.
The transformation mirrors the evolution of Lower Manhattan itself—from a neighborhood that once emptied after the closing bell into one of New York City’s most dynamic destinations for dining, nightlife and luxury hospitality.
Yamasaki Restaurant & Bar
https://www.yamasakinyc.com/
Bueno Restaurant & Bar
https://www.buenonyc.com/
Words by Elle Taylor
Explore more of New York’s evolving dining scene with INLOVE’s feature on The Seville NYC.
