How To Get Into White-Hot Basque Steakhouse Asador Bastian

Resy: How many seats are there at Asador Bastian? 

Carolina Rosales: In the main dining room we seat about 55 people, depending on whether we’re at full capacity for each table. We have a lot of two tops and the ability to combine tables for larger parties. We have a beautiful semi-private dining room where we can seat up to 12 guests. At our chef’s table we can seat up to 10 comfortably as well, which has a full view of the kitchen.

Downstairs in the bar room we have four booths that seat four each, and we do take reservations for those. As far as a team, we love the bar. We love being secluded in our area, and honestly, the tables are bigger. Upstairs it can get a little tight. It’s very New York intimate, as we joke. Downstairs there’s a little more physical space for you to enjoy if that’s what you’re looking for.

When do reservations drop on Resy?

30 days in advance.

How quickly do seats usually book up? 

Prime time slots fill up right away. I think people have realized how soon reservations open up. We used to take reservations 45 days in advance, but we switched to 30 days in advance after the holidays because we were getting a lot of requests for bigger groups and we wanted to be able to accommodate those. The 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. weekend slots book up about a week after they become available, so three weeks in advance.

Do you save any seats for walk-ins?

We always have the bar itself and high tops available for walk-ins. They are first-come, first-serve. We want to be able to say yes to people whenever we can.  We don’t broadcast that we save room for walk-ins, but we’re always happy to try and move things around. We appreciate people making the trek to see us, so we do everything within our power to get people in, whether it’s upstairs or downstairs. 

Can you order off the full menu at the bar? 

Yes, both at the bar tops and the booths, the full menu is available.

Can people have a drink at the bar while they wait for their table? 

We suggest it either before, after, or both. We typically like to guide people into the bar room to start the experience there and enjoy the whole space. You have a view into the butcher room, where we have our steaks during the aging process. We get a lot of questions about it, and we love people being able to see what we do best. Guests often want to enjoy dessert downstairs, too. The dimmer space is perfect for a nightcap and dessert before you head out for the evening.

How many covers do you typically do per night?

We hover between 100-150 per night. On weekends we’re at 150 consistently, and that accounts for the walk-ins that we’re able to take at the bar.

What do you think is the best table in the house?

We always joke about this and the true answer is that there is no bad table. It just depends on what view you like. The tables by the windows under the beautiful chandeliers are magnificent. And the chef’s table is an experience in itself. Some people who have dined with us will request one of our two slightly larger booths that seat four people upstairs in the main dining room. Otherwise our chef’s table has the most buzz and people want to know how to book it. We take a higher deposit for the chef’s table, with a minimum of six guests. Instead of $45 per person, we ask for a $150 per person prepaid deposit that gets applied to the final bill. 

Do you have a private dining room for larger parties? 

There’s nothing that actually separates it, but we have a different part of the dining room that’s by the windows for 12 guests and there’s a little divide with a glassware station that we have that makes it feel distinct. We do have the availability to do partial and full buyouts. You can book either upstairs, downstairs, or both, which is great for corporate events and family dinners.

When is a guest most likely to get a Notify alert?

We try to reach out as soon as we see things change, because we get calls throughout the day. We look at it every day, not just the day of, but days in advance.  We do take it seriously and we know that people are trying to make plans, so we do our best to communicate any availability as it comes in.

Let’s talk about the food. What are some of your most popular menu items?

Our steaks speak for themselves and we are considered a steakhouse, but most people are really impressed by how strong our seafood program is. The seafood arroz cremoso is something that you won’t find at any other steakhouse in the city. The carabineros get grilled a la plancha with sea salt and we serve it with some sherry, so that’s one of my favorites.

It’s really how we serve things that make them stand out. Our bone marrow potato puree is one of the most photographed and delicious things on our menu, since it’s mixed up tableside. The sardines are fantastic and come with a side of salsa verde and bread, and it’s a bright beginning for the rest of the dinner.

How often does the menu change?

We like to keep it pretty stable with a little bit of evolution. Our salads and desserts, we might swap out more seasonally, but the rest is pretty much staples. We do have a great selection of specials on a daily basis to supplement the main menu, whether it’s a different fish or seafood dish, a housemade pasta, or a luxury beef cut that we’re running as a special. There are ways to feel like you’ve never been here before even if it’s your third or tenth time dining with us.

Anything else about Asador Bastian that we should know? 

My number’s on my card. We love to know if you’re celebrating something – whether it’s a work milestone or anniversary – so we can cater to those things and make it the best celebration for you.

Also, we do a lot of fun happy hour events and specialty dinners, too—like complimentary 5J Cinco Jotas Ibérico acorn-fed ham being sliced in our butcher room. Happy hour events we typically do on Tuesdays, maybe once a month, to collaborate with some of our food and wine purveyors. We want people to come in and feel comfortable asking questions and want to join us for dinner. 

We do specialty dinners every couple of months, whether it’s a whole beast dinner to try different cuts outside of what we normally offer, truffle dinners, or wine dinners. Our Instagram is the most up to date place for details on upcoming events. Our website is always up to date too with any menu changes the day of so what you see is what you’ll get when you come in for dinner.

Amber Gibson is a Chicago-based journalist specializing in travel, food, and wine. Her work has appeared in Departures, Food & Wine, Saveur, Bon Appétit, and Travel + Leisure. Follow her here; follow Resy too.