Ariari is a modern Korean restaurant on First Avenue in the East Village from Hand Hospitality, the group behind several of the city’s popular Korean restaurants.
Eater New York says the menu draws on the food of Busan, with mak hwe (thin-sliced seasonal fish with lettuce wraps) and DIY scallop gimbap. Reviewers describe a cozy, lively room and a compact menu of shareable dishes, and call the kimchi addictive. The fried soft-shell crab, seafood pancake and corn crème brûlée are customer favorites.
In the news & reviews
- Eater NY: The Best Seafood Restaurants in NYC, According to Eater Editors
“Ariari is just one restaurant in the burgeoning empire of prolific Hand Hospitality restaurateurs Kihyun Lee and Jinan Choi .”
- Restaurantji review of Ariari
“Truly sensational.”
- Restaurantji review of Ariari
“We had such a lovely experience at Ariari!”
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Starter listings from public sources — verify hours before visiting. Listed Nov 13, 2026. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Owner or regular? Send a correction.