The Consulate and At The Office Opening
One of Murray Hill’s most recognizable corners is entering a new era. On April 17, The Consulate and At the Office are set to open at 160 East 38th Street, transforming the former El Rio Grande space into a sprawling dual-concept destination that blends elevated dining with a more playful late-night sports bar energy. The new address marks The Consulate’s expansion into Murray Hill, joining the group’s existing Upper West Side and Midtown locations.
Founded by twin restaurateurs Kiril and Metodija Mihajlov, The Consulate has built a following around its French Modern American style, and the Murray Hill opening looks poised to be one of the neighborhood’s biggest hospitality debuts in years. The 310-seat project pairs the restaurant with At the Office, a new adjoining bar concept designed to take guests from dinner into drinks, game-night energy, and post-work revelry without ever leaving the building.
At The Consulate Murray Hill, the menu from Executive Chef Alan Vargas and Chef de Cuisine Nestor Villafuerte blends French and American influences with a range of offerings designed to move from lighter bites to more indulgent main courses. Raw bar selections like tuna tartare and ceviche sit alongside roasted branzino, short rib cavatelli, and prime steaks, creating a menu that feels equally suited for after-work dinners, date nights, and celebratory evenings out. The beverage program takes a global approach, featuring cocktails like the Jardin with matcha and jalapeño tequila, the Consulate Espresso Martini, and a curated wine list designed to complement both casual and special-occasion dining.
Next door, At the Office brings a more casual and energetic counterpart to the restaurant. Designed for post-work drinks and late-night socializing, the space shifts the mood from polished dinner service into a more playful bar experience. Together, the two venues are meant to function as one seamless destination, allowing guests to move easily between dinner, drinks, and a more lively nightlife atmosphere.
On warmer nights, the venue’s al fresco patios are expected to become a major draw, with seating for upwards of 200 guests on an elevated terrace. That addition gives the project even more impact, turning the corner into a large-scale indoor-outdoor destination just as spring dining season gets underway in the city.
For decades, this address was synonymous with celebration, neighborhood energy, and group nights out. This new chapter from The Consulate Group builds on that legacy while reimagining the space as a more modern hospitality hub. For Murray Hill, it is not just another opening, but a full reinvention of one of the neighborhood’s most familiar corners.
