From Cappadocia to New York Nights: How Baris Koroglu Built Aquarelle and DEJAVU

Born in Cappadocia, Baris Koroglu has woven his diverse background in nightlife and hospitality into a distinct philosophy that champions time, pacing, and immersive experience. His ventures, Aquarelle and DEJAVU, echo a commitment to reviving a more measured and sensuous dining culture in the city.

Koroglu first honed his expertise through projects including The Lullaby, Paradise Club, VirgoPresent, and 9 Jones, each contributing to his grasp of ambiance, culinary rhythm, and the interplay between food and nightlife.

Opening on June 26, 2025, at 47 Avenue B in the East Village, Aquarelle quickly earned praise—most notably from The New York Times—as a “luxuriously appointed seafood destination.” The menu presents refined dishes such as fluke crudo accented with blood orange, scallops with piri piri, branzino enlivened by Meyer lemon, and salt-baked red snapper. The kitchen’s stoves remain lit until midnight, inviting patrons to linger as an older New York habit prescribes.

The restaurant’s design evokes its marine theme with velvet-lined spaces suffused in deep marine tones and intimate candlelight. Composed of distinctive areas—the Cove, the Deck, and an underground Grotto—the atmosphere summons an embrace of time and place, encouraging guests to immerse themselves in the evening’s unfolding.

During New York Fashion Week in September 2025, Aquarelle became a nexus where food, fashion, nightlife, and performance elegantly converged. High-profile evenings captured by Daily Front Row and Page Six helped position the restaurant as a defining location for both the city’s culinary and cultural scenes.

Transitioning west, DEJAVU opened in October 2025 at 394 West Street in the West Village. Receiving critical attention in the months that followed—including coverage by Village Voice, Haute Living, Voyage NY, and The New York Times—the venue embraces a European-inspired concept that shifts in tempo from day to night.

By day, DEJAVU functions as a caviar café serving espresso, blinis, crème fraîche, tea, and guided tastings. As night falls, the space transforms into a candlelit, jazz-infused supper club, unfolding through the Emerald Room, Golden Room, and the hidden Red Room. The menu ranges from scallop crudo and tuna tartare to lobster ravioli, truffle pappardelle, grilled lamb chops, sea bass, steak frites, and inventive cocktails like the signature DejaVu cocktail with lychee, yuzu, pineapple, and matcha foam.

What unites Aquarelle and DEJAVU is more than common ownership; it is a deliberate hospitality philosophy that privileges atmosphere, pacing, and the art of lingering. In a city often defined by quick turnover and transient tables, Koroglu offers a counterpoint: immersive experiences that invite patrons to savor moments and flavors long into the night.

This article is based on the press deck and referenced coverage from The New York Times, Modern Luxury, Daily Front Row, Village Voice, Haute Living, and CEO Weekly.