Contento’s primary purpose is a radical one: to welcome everyone. This is New York City’s long overdue, and first-and-only restaurant purpose-built to be accessible for people in wheelchairs. That means part of the bar is at wheelchair height, as are the tables, all of which have room between them for wheeled maneuvering. Bathrooms are fully accessible, as are all entryways. Patrons with seeing-eye dogs are also made comfortable here.

None of this would matter, of course, if this weren’t a place worth coming, but it is, thanks to an accomplished chef who is turning out tasty American fare with a whiff of Japanese and Peruvian influence. There’s also a smartly curated wine list with a number of affordable options, including bottles that they title “wines of impact” because they’re crafted by wineries owned by either people with disabilities, people of color, or people living in impoverished communities. When ordering, know that the “larger plates” are actually shareable size, and the “smaller” plates are the size of entrees elsewhere. So you’ll likely end up with a less pricey meal here than you would further downtown.