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

Baris Koroglu, born amid the surreal landscapes of Cappadocia, has carved a unique niche in New York’s culinary and nightlife world. His arrival in the city brought with it a vision shaped by his diverse background, including stints at The Lullaby, Paradise Club, VirgoPresent, and 9 Jones. From these experiences, Koroglu distilled a philosophy rooted in the art of time, pacing, and atmosphere—critical components of hospitality he believes are increasingly rare in the city’s fast-moving environment.

On June 26, 2025, Aquarelle opened its doors at 47 Avenue B in the East Village. The New York Times described it as a “luxuriously appointed seafood destination,” featuring dishes such as fluke crudo with blood orange, scallops with piri piri, branzino paired with Meyer lemon, and richly textured salt-baked red snapper. The venue’s stoves burn until midnight, inviting diners into velvet-lined spaces bathed in marine tones and candlelight that evoke an intimacy and calm rare in the neighborhood.

Within the restaurant, Koroglu designed thoughtfully distinct compartments—the Cove, the Deck, and the underground Grotto—each contributing to a narrative that revives the once-common New York habit of lingering late over dinner. This spatial choreography creates a feeling of moving through a day-to-night journey, where the dining experience stretches comfortably against the limits of time.

During New York Fashion Week in September 2025, Aquarelle became a hub for high-profile gatherings, melding the worlds of food, fashion, nightlife, and performance. Coverage by Daily Front Row and Page Six highlighted its role not only as a restaurant but as an immersive cultural venue, sharpening its profile as a city hotspot where style and substance converge.

Shifting to the West Village, Koroglu launched DEJAVU at 394 West Street in October 2025. By February 2026, it had attracted attention from Village Voice, Haute Living, Voyage NY, and once again, The New York Times. The concept here plays with time in a different way, shifting mood and tempo throughout the day.

By day, DEJAVU operates as a European-inspired caviar café, serving espresso, blinis topped with creme fraiche, refined tea service, and guided tastings that encourage slow enjoyment. As evening descends, the space transforms into a candlelit, jazz-infused supper club with intimate settings spread across the Emerald Room, Golden Room, and a concealed Red Room. This metamorphosis invites guests to savor evolving layers of ambiance and taste.

The menu and bar offerings underscore this dual identity. Highlights include scallop crudo, tuna tartare, and shrimp carpaccio accented with caviar; pastrami croquettes; lobster ravioli; truffle pappardelle; grilled lamb chops; sea bass and steak frites. The signature DejaVu cocktail combines lychee, yuzu, pineapple, and a delicate matcha foam, blending vibrant flavors in keeping with the venue’s rhythmical shift from day to night.

What connects Aquarelle and DEJAVU extends beyond common ownership. At their core is Koroglu’s deliberate philosophy about hospitality that emphasizes immersive, paced experiences in a city often urging diners to move swiftly. Both venues exemplify this approach, inviting guests to inhabit moments fully rather than merely pass through. This report is based on Koroglu’s press deck and extensive coverage from The New York Times, Modern Luxury, Daily Front Row, Village Voice, Haute Living, and CEO Weekly.