The Bazaar by José Andrés restaurants, present in New York City, Miami Beach, and Washington DC, takes diners on a “wild, sensory adventure,” blending Old World delicacies with avant-garde delights. Their menus combine traditional tapas dishes with recipes inspired by molecular gastronomy, or ‘deconstructed cuisine,’ an approach that Andrés first encountered while working with one of its pioneers, Ferran Adrià, at groundbreaking restaurant elBulli in Catalonia, Spain.

The Heart of The Bazaar

The newest outpost of The Bazaar is housed in the truly grand setting of the historic Old Post Office building in Washington DC (now the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC), occupying a corner of the soaring atrium lobby. The restaurant’s style and atmosphere draw on the storied past of this iconic location, with the help of avant-garde and Americana-inspired décor. Extending over several levels, the restaurant is rich in marble, velvet, and Dali-inspired floral fabrics. As if to drive home the in-your-face opulence, the menu is literally a book.

The Bazaar by José Andrés is a proud part of the José Andrés Group.
Founded in 1993 by Spanish-American chef and restaurateur José Andrés along with his then business partner Rob Wilder, the José Andrés Group (JAG) owns over 30 restaurants in different cities across the US and beyond. The portfolio covers a range of different dining concepts, culinary styles, and price levels.

The list includes the 12-seat Minibar by José Andrés in Washington DC—recipient of two Michelin stars—and the similar è by José Andrés in Las Vegas, as well as a variety of fast-casual eateries, poolside cafés, cocktail bars, and even a Spanish food hall.

Not many chefs can claim to have been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, but for José Andrés, that is just one in the long and eclectic list of honors he has received over the last couple of decades, which go way beyond his success in the kitchen. Besides his James Beard Outstanding Chef award and numerous accolades in the press, there are recognitions for his humanitarian work—he created the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen, which brings food relief to people in need following disasters around the globe—and for his contributions to tourism, TV, education, and more. Such is his reach beyond the world of fine dining that Time magazine has included him in their list of 100 Most Influential People.

Born in northern Spain, Andrés signed up to study at culinary school in Barcelona at 15. During his military service a few years later, he was assigned to cook for an admiral, an experience that was followed by three years working for Ferran Adrià at elBulli. When Adrià fired him, he set off for America, working first in New York City in 1991 before moving to Washington DC in 1993. It was here that he founded the José Andrés Group and began building the empire of over 30 restaurants that now bear his name.

While minibar by José Andrés in Washington DC stands out for its two Michelin stars, many other restaurants in the group have received their share of accolades over the years too. For example, Zaytinya—present in Las Vegas, Washington DC, and New York City—is included in the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list of exceptional restaurants at moderate prices, as are Oyamel and China Chicano in Washington DC and Jaleo by José Andrés in Washington DC, Orlando, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Dubai. The Bazaar, meanwhile, features in Condé Nast Traveler’s list of the 20 Best Restaurants in Washington DC.

The Chef

José Ramón Andrés Puerta was born in Mieres, Asturias, in northern Spain. At 15 he enrolled in culinary school in Barcelona, and at 18 during his military service, he was given the job of cooking for an admiral. He then worked for three years for superstar chef Ferran Adrià at the famous avant-garde restaurant elBulli, but was eventually fired, and decided to move to the US.

Since arriving in 1991 at the age of 21, he has built an empire of over 30 restaurants in US cities including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, and Orlando, along with others in the Bahamas and Dubai.

He has also become famous for his humanitarian work, creating the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen in 2010 to provide food relief in crisis situations around the world.

Over the years, he has accumulated a remarkable array of recognitions, from culinary prizes—including a James Beard Outstanding Chef Award—and media accolades —including Chef of the Year in Bon Appetit and GQ—to a string of humanitarian awards, honorary degrees, and other recognitions, such as a place in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People and a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Restaurants

The José Andrés Group owns a large portfolio of restaurants serving different kinds of cuisine at different price points. They range from the two-Michelin-star Minibar by José Andrés in Washington DC—serving a tasting menu of around 25 small courses to just 12 diners— and the similar è by José Andrés in Las Vegas to The Bazaar by José Andrés, which has restaurants in New York City, Miami Beach, and Washington DC.

The latest incarnation of The Bazaar opened in 2022 in Washington DC in the historic Old Post Office building, an event that Andrés says had been a dream since he moved to the capital from NYC in 1993, and which was postponed for several years by his falling out with the building’s previous owner, Donald Trump.

In terms of cuisine, The Bazaar restaurants serve innovative dishes rooted in Spanish tradition and avant-garde techniques, crafted with Andrés’ signature creativity, and designed to stimulate the senses in surprising and satisfying ways, in “a carefully created theater of shared plates.” The menu in the Washington DC restaurant offers an additional twist, with references to favorite dishes of past presidents and tributes to the rich history of the nation’s capital.

Recipes and dishes

Andrés has been credited with introducing tapas to the US. Signature dishes include Beet Butterfly, which is a rosette of beet with Greek yogurt, mandarin orange, and marigold flowers; Snail Caviar: Fast & Slow, a twist on a classic Spanish pairing of conejo con caracoles, highlighting the snail caviar; and Corn BBQ & CornChata, made with crispy chicken skin, hot corn gelee, BBQ sauce, and corn milk horchata.

Besides being an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian, Andrés is also a bestselling author, television host, podcast producer, and educator. This parallel career as a communicator began in 2005, when he starred in his own cooking show in Spain, Vamos a Cocinar and published his first book, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America. He has since appeared on TV in Iron Chef America, Top Chef, and numerous other shows, as well as lecturing in culinary physics at Harvard University, helping develop a curriculum in Spanish cuisine for the International Culinary Center in New York, and teaching a course in how food shapes civilization at George Washington University. His 2023 book, The WCK Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope, focuses on recipes associated with WCK's global relief efforts.

View profile