wd~50 opened at 50 Clinton Street, between Rivington and Stanton, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side on April 9th, 2003. The 65 seat restaurant occupies a former bodega and has a full bar. Dinner is served five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, from 6 pm to 10 pm. The restaurant also offers private dining in its wine cellar for up to fourteen people.
The chef, Wylie Dufresne, opened a second restaurant, ALDER in 2013.
wd~50 now offers two tasting menus; a twelve-course tasting menu for $155, and From the Vault, a five-course tasting menu for $90 comprised of the restaurant’s classic dishes from past menus.
Both tasting menus are available at the bar.
The menus at wd~50 utilize elements and techniques from a wide array of cuisines. The restaurant has garnered praise for its inspired culinary combinations, cutting edge culinary techniques, and innovative use of ingredients. The restaurant was designed by Dewey Dufresne and Louis Mueller. Frank Bruni of the New York Times awarded wd~50 three stars in March of 2008. In 2006, in the Michelin Guide’s inaugural American edition, wd~50 received one star, which it has retained each year since.