The worlds of food and art are colliding in New York City. In the past year, a handful of restaurants have opened with impressive culinary offerings that parallel the artwork inside.
While some are associated with art organizations such as Sotheby’s and the New Museum, others get their creative flair from the owners’ taste. The topic is becoming the talk of the town, including in Artnet’s recent podcast, The Art Angle, which features Annie Armstrong, food and culture writer for Caper Media. And it’s not just the art world that is creating buzz. Reviews in major outlets are also driving diners to these new artful haunts.
Whether you’re refueling after a museum visit or fancy your appetizers with a side of art, here are five of the best new restaurants in New York with art collections that are guaranteed to satisfy as much as the fare.
Oriana
174 Mott Street
What to see:
Tribeca gallerygoers, your new go-to restaurant is here. A short walk away to Nolita is Oriana, the latest spot from fine-dining institution Eleven Madison Park alumni chef Andy Quinn and sommelier Cedric Nicaise, who together also launched Noortwyck in the West Village in 2022. Dark browns fill Oriana’s stunning space designed by local architecture firm Modellus Novus, and are warmed by a wood-fired grill.
Artworks from the restaurant’s financier and building owner Kevin Ryan’s collection fill the walls, including pieces by Rashid Johnson, Alteronce Gumby, and Ming Smith. But the stunner is a site-specific mural by Tunji Adeniyi-Jones featuring the British artist’s characteristic vibrant palette with swirls of lush flora and fauna that draw from his Yoruba heritage. The rich blues and orange hues span 25 feet in the multi-panel work, gracing the large dining room with thrilling energy.
“We wanted the interiors of Oriana to reflect the deep artistic history and spirit of downtown New York by filling the walls with visual artists who inspire us as well as our guests,” said Christopher Omachi, who advised on the restaurant’s collection. “We knew Adeniyi-Jones’s paintings wouldn’t fade into the background—they bring a sense of depth, movement, and life to the restaurant, beckoning people in from the street and inviting conversation amongst guests.”
What to eat:
Adeniyi-Jones’s mural sets a spirited tone that is matched by the energy of the room. The menu centers around live-fire and open-grill dishes, with chic diners indulging in rich dishes like perfectly cooked hanger steak and smoky, roasted vegetables, as well as lighter fare like briny oysters and silky tuna crudo.
A highlight is the wood-fired salmon over a smoked butter sauce that pairs perfectly with maitake mushrooms. Each dish is packed with flavors and fresh ingredients like ramps and basil that add brightness to both the plate and the palate.
Oberon, New Museum
235 Bowery
What to see:
With the sleek design by architectural firm OMA and partner Shohei Shigematsu, it’s no surprise that Oberon inside the New Museum is stylistically impressive. Bathed in warm browns, including cork booths encircling the walls and a low, curved ceiling, Oberon feels like the inside of a cave or a coffee bean, a contrast to the metal surfaces throughout the museum.
Above the bar is an agentic AI digital installation by Ian Cheng that responds to the activity of the room. Diners can also play a game of virtual chess while sitting at the sculptural bar top, which was designed by artist Minjae Kim, who also created some of the cozy tables and resin-dipped fiberglass artworks floating over the booths. After dinner, guests receive chocolates with poems by Laurie Anderson.
“While we're an independent business with an independent entrance, we're still in and of the museum and its community. We wanted the entire space to reflect the community, which is by and for artists, and to feel creative rather than be a gallery,” said Henry Rich, managing partner of Oberon.
“Everything is meant to be integrated into the experience, not too distracting, and with an artist’s sensibility more than the discrete pieces you might see in the museum. This way people can tune into the art or just enjoy the experience.”
What to eat:
Oberon has refreshingly reasonable prices and an approachable menu of seasonal modern American fare, with staples like a burger and fettuccine, as well as dorade bursting with flavorful romesco and summer squash. A highlight was a generous serving of prawns with a zippy blend of salsa negra, jalapeño, and cilantro, which pairs perfectly with the bright dressing of coconut yuzu on the watercress salad.
Oberon’s audience isn’t just museumgoers. While the New Museum closes at 6 p.m., the restaurant stays open until 1 a.m., an enticing invitation to have a glass of wine while playing AI chess late into the night.
Bar Chimera
550 Madison Avenue
What to see:
Inside legendary architect Philip Johnson’s postmodern masterpiece (the former AT&T building), restaurateur Simon Kim has assembled a spectacle to match the building’s scale. Bar Chimera is the latest addition to Kim’s Gracious Hospitality portfolio, which includes Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse COTE.
Bar Chimera is three bars in one: martini, whiskey, and wine. Designed by the Rockwell Group, the room is carefully divided into distinct zones, from the gleaming chrome martini counter to the wood-paneled whiskey library and convivial wine bar. London-based artist Martin Creed’s neon signs, commissioned by ARTLINE, hover on the walls.
“We felt that Creed’s ability to bring people together aligned seamlessly with the values of 550 Madison: hospitality, community, and positivity,” said Ji Park Kwak and Rosa Suehyun Kim, the founders and directors of public art consultancy ARTLINE. “In striving to realize an artistically meaningful and innovative art program that stands apart from the typical large corporate midtown landscape, we were drawn to the sophisticated playfulness and embracing openness of Martin’s work.”
The artworks’ glowing text, like a yellow sign that reads “Don’t Worry,” are lighthearted statements visible from the street and throughout the grandiose space.
“We wanted Bar Chimera to feel like a sort of zen resting spot within the intensity of Midtown,” added Simon Kim. “The inspiration for the space came in part from ancient cities like Rome, where you might find a fountain just outside a busy merchant area, giving people a place to pause and rest after a bustling day.”
What to eat:
The drinks program is a suitably extensive highlight. The martini is the star, with ice made from filtered and re-mineralized water and a choice of garnishes ranging from pickled onions to blue-cheese-stuffed olives.
The menu here is a combination of New York brasserie classics and elevated bar snacks with Korean American flourishes. A perfect option for indecisive diners or people who like to try multiple dishes is the brilliant preset menu with seven small appetizers like red snapper crudo and wagyu bresaola with melon to accompany your choice of an entree.
The burger comes with peppercorn mustard and a brioche bun (with a side of fries, of course), yet there’s no need for any additional accouterments. Its flavors are remarkably complex, making it a strong contender for one of New York’s favorite arguments: the best burger in the city.
Zoli
Amant, 312 Maujer Street, Brooklyn
What to see:
There’s nothing unusual about a fish tank in a restaurant, but the tank at Zoli will catch you by surprise. With three large rectangular aquariums, the marine habitats are part of a work by artist Pierre Huyghe. The piece was commissioned by Amant founder and collector Lonti Ebers: The avant-garde artwork matches the atmosphere the adjacent art center is known for.
Unlike the tanks some restaurants have with creatures like lobsters that might soon become dishes, Huyghe’s are intentionally off-putting with alien-like crabs and GloFish (genetically modified to emit artificial hues) in murky water.
The aquatic triptych is inspired by nearby Newtown Creek, one of the most polluted estuaries in New York City. The water levels in the tanks rise and fall as if responding to an unknown tide, and the glass occasionally switches from opaque to transparent, adding a cinematic effect.
What to eat:
Zoli’s seafood-forward menu changes frequently, but the small plates are light and flavorful, making for a great shared experience and return visits. A surprising star of the menu is the “Olney salad,” whose ingredients change often, but are an assortment of fresh herbs and lettuces dressed in incredibly fine oil and vinegar.
Each dish is packed with bold and unexpected flavors, like the mussel dressing on the Romano beans with sungolds.
Marcel, Sotheby’s
945 Madison Avenue
What to see:
An endeavor between auction house Sotheby’s and the design firm Roman and Williams, Marcel is the French restaurant inside Sotheby’s headquarters, which opened last November. The Marcel Breuer–designed Brutalist building provides a dramatic setting, with soaring ceilings, large windows, and views of the sculpture garden.
Having two creative leaders at the helm, it’s no surprise that Marcel is expertly outfitted, from the tableware to the lighting fixtures in cast bronze and cast glass by Roman and Williams that complement Breuer’s signature circular designs overhead.
And, of course, there’s the art on offer from Sotheby’s. While an energetic Willem de Kooning painting and an abstract John Chamberlain sculpture might accompany your next meal, the selection will continue to change. The dining room, vitrines, lobby, stairwell, and garden terrace are packed with blue-chip fare, which at the time of publication also included works by Isamu Noguchi, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Andy Warhol, Louise Nevelson, and others.
What to eat:
Diners can rub elbows with collectors, tourists, and salespeople alike. But not all is business and power lunches at Marcel, as the food entices as much as the art.
The high prices preclude a casual outing, but for a special occasion there’s a reliable selection of French-leaning continental cuisine and brasserie fare like confit duck, foie gras, and onion soup.
from Artsy News https://ift.tt/Upu3WQE
No comments:
Post a Comment