Manhattan’s Upper West Side has a new upscale tavern and restaurant, and it is called The Milling Room. Zagat editor Patty Lee filed this review for NY1.

The Upper West Side has plenty of fine-dining destinations and now it finally has a spot that is merging good food with a fun, casual vibe.

 “Basically, you have a big dining room, more for sitting and really enjoying. The bar will be more of tavern, fun, pub sort of feel, I think," says The Milling Room chef Scott Bryan.

Chef Bryan, who has worked at some of New York’s best restaurants, is in the kitchen, turning out hearty dishes that showcase a mix of French, Italian and Spanish flavors.

 “I call it contemporary American based on French technique — real simple, straightforward, no gimmicks,” Bryan explains. “We have quite a large menu to choose from. The most popular is the hamachi tartare, which is made with pickled cucumbers, shallots, chives, extra virgin olive oil and some jalapeno and yuzu, so it is very clean and vibrant. You can eat here every day, come and have some apps one day, a pasta the next, chicken on another time, you won’t get bored."

Diners can sit down for a full meal in the stunning sky-lit back room, or hang out in the brick-lined bar area in the front, where they are taking classic cocktails up a notch with fresh juices.

 “The space is really unique for New York. The front is this sort of tavern feel and once the oven gets going, it’ll be very interactive with a couple of chefs down there cooking,” says Bryan. “Back here is very comfortable. The tables are well separated, they’re big, you’re not on top of each other like in some New York City restaurants where they squeeze 60 people in a shoebox. With the bookcase and the candles and everything, it’s got a nice vibe to it."

With the opening of this charming two-in-one restaurant, the Upper West Side finally has the neighborhood spot it has always needed.

We tried the hamachi tartare, and the fish was super fresh. There was also a little bit of zing from the citrus and the avocado, which worked really well.

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