September 22, 2015

12 NYC Restaurants Serve Up Hot Design

It’s no surprise that SoHo, the Lower East Side, and Williamsburg have eye-catching eateries. But Midtown? Several of our top picks are right in the center of the city’s hustle and bustle. Dig in.

 

1. Firm: Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Project: Untitled.

Site: Meatpacking district.

Standout: Charles Williams pendant domes, Eero Saarinen chairs, and white oak millwork warm up the steel-and-concrete architecture of the Whitney Museum of American Art.

2. Firm: Rockwell Group

Project: The Clocktower.

Site: NoMad.

Standout: The original mahogany doors, wainscoting, and flooring were restored at this New York and federal landmark, while a gold-leafed bar, velvet-upholstered seating, and Eric Schmitt’s oversize ring chandeliers were added.

3. Firm: Crème

Project: Lupulo.

Site: Garment district.

Standout: Rustic wood accents, screens of knotted nautical rope, and walls clad in sea-blue ceramic tiles transport diners to traditional Lisbon.

4. Firm: Carpenter & Mason

Project: Van Leeuwen.

Site: Williamsburg.

Standout: What started out as a truck in 2008 has expanded into three bricks-and-mortar shops plus this new 1,150-square-foot flagship, its palette of honed Thassos marble, white oak, and pale peach inspired by the colors of the ice-cream flavors.

5. Firm: Meyer Davis

Project: Vaucluse.

Site: Upper East Side.

Standout: Cerused oak floorboards, tracery medallion moldings, subway-tiled vaults, and a custom banquette aglow in LED strips combine French countryside and metropolitan glamour.

6. Firm: Martin Brudnizki Design Studio

Project: Sessanta.

Site: SoHo.

Standout: Vintage Italy is expressed via an envelope of rich woods and sienna and cyan colorways, populated by mid-century furniture and a marble-topped central bar.

7. Firm: Robert McKinley Creative Services

Project: Tijuana Picnic.

Site: Lower East Side.

Standout: Lamps made from repurposed tequila bottles accompany graffiti artist Remed’s acrylic mural recalling Mexico City in the 1970’s.

8. Firm: ICrave

Project: Le District.

Site: Financial District.

Standout: French blue is the color hand-painted, in different patterns, on white wall tile to differentiate dining and retail at this Francophile mega-emporium.

9. Firm: CCS Architecture

Project: O Ya.

Site: NoMad.

Standout: Tranquility begins at the bamboo entry garden and continues through to the minimal interior’s original brick walls and polished concrete floor.

10. Firm: Studios GO Architecture

Project: Devocion.

Site: Williamsburg.

Standout: A former meatpacking plant now sells coffee from a Colombian company, its story told by a roasting facility at the entry and the café’s coffee-plant wall.

11. Firm: Alvarez + Brock Design

Project: Uncle Sam’s.

Site: Midtown.

Standout: For the U.S. debut of a Beijing burger joint, green-painted plywood frames, suspended from the ceiling, are meant to evoke lush pastures.

12. Firm: Paris Forino Design

Project: Gem Hotel wine bar.

Site: Chelsea.

Standout : Perforated brass panels slide to hide the bottles, contributing to a living-room atmosphere established by residentially scaled furniture.

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