10 Noteworthy New York Restaurants
From Fort Greene to Hoboken and Manhattan points in between, dig into our annual roundup of New York area eateries serving up noteworthy design.
1. Firm: Heartwork Design, Richard H. Lewis Architect, and Ulrik Nordentoft Studio
Project: Agern, Midtown.
Standout: Chrysler Building–inspired art deco mixes with Scandinavian elements at celebrated chef Claus Meyer’s 2,900-square-foot restaurant inside Grand Central Terminal. Read our full story on Agern here.
2. Firm: Mapos
Project: ‘Wichcraft, TriBeCa
Standout: After 13 years and 10 locations, the fast-casual concept needed a refresh: Now ceramic and terra-cotta tile, white oak, and steel plus an open-market feel better represent the brand’s commitment to locally sourced natural food at this first outpost of the forthcoming rollout.
3. Firm: Brand Bureau
Project: Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen, Cobble Hill.
Standout: The interiors, graphics, signage, and branding at the TV personality’s tidy debut outpost for her famous hot chicken are a love letter to her hometown, Nashville.
4. Firm: David M. Sullivan
Project: Café Altro Paradiso, Hudson Square
Standout: An envelope of white and reclaimed oak, Carrara marble, leather, and brass punctuated by custom pendant fixtures recalling 1930’s Italy is in step with the cuisine: traditional with a contemporary twist.
5. Firm: Bentel & Bentel
Project: Halifax, Hoboken
Standout: The Hudson Riverfront location’s basalt bricks, living wall, natural woods, and pale blues, greens, whites, and grays evoke the sea and sky, tying into the menu’s emphasis on sustainable Northeastern farm and coastal cuisine.
6. Firm: Studios GO & Gregory Okshteyn
Project: Samui Brooklyn, Fort Greene
Standout: The facade of the former garage has been transformed with a mural by street artist Queen Andrea, aka Andrea von Bujdoss, while the interior continues the artistic bent with a trio of custom copper chandeliers and 3D-mapped wall projections by local video artists.
7. Firm: Roman & Williams
Project: Le Coucou, SoHo
Standout: A Hubert Robert–inspired mural hand-painted by Dean Barger Studios surrounds an early 1900’s triple French door retrofitted into bar shelving, while custom pewtered-steel chandeliers, circa 1925 Thonet chairs, dehydrated oak floor planks, and white-washed existing brick define the dining room.
8. Firm: Elizabeth Roberts Architecture & Design
Project:Nix, Greenwich Village
Standout: Chef John Fraser’s haven for vegetarian and vegan cuisine is outfitted in top-to-bottom custom details, from reclaimed-wood tabletops serving the banquettes and railroad booths to bathroom walls hand-painted by Leanne Shapton with turnip and tomato blocks.
9. Firm: Anda Andrei Design and Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture and Design
Project: The Norm at Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights
Standout: Some walls host shipping crates stamped with global destinations that were found in the museum basement, while others are hung with rotating artwork chosen by the museum’s curators.
10. Firm:Rockwell Group
Project: Avra, Upper East Side
Standout: Live lemon trees, Dolomiti white marble, and elemental artwork, including Fernando Mastrangelo’s 3,000-pound wall sculpture in salt crystal and raw cement, infuse the two-story Greek establishment with an airy Santorini vibe.
