There's been a whole lot of activity in NYC's restaurant scene this summer, and when new spots debut, Eater NY has been on the case. Its Eater Inside series has looked at some of the season's biggest openings—Gabriel Kreuther's eponymous restaurant near Bryant Park (above), Ravi DeRossi's new tiki bar, Jonathan Waxman's reincarnated Jams—as they've arrived on the scene, and in addition to offering nuggets of information about these eateries, the stories have also offered up some incredible design porn. Take a look at ten of New York City's new restaurants that have the most compelling, eye-catching interiors.
(↑) Located in the St. James building in NoMad, La Pecora Bianca, the new casual Italian restaurant from Mark Barak (Claudette), is kitted out in bright shades of mint green and terra cotta, with custom-made wooden tables and tiled walls.
(↑) Gabriel Kreuther's eponymous restaurant near Bryant Park was designed by Glen Coben (who also worked on Carbone and Empellon Al Pastor), and features a beautiful lounge area, exposed wood beams, artful floral wallpaper, and delicate bird-adorned light fixtures.
(↑) Rose's, the latest project from Franny Stephens and Andrew Feinberg, opened in June in the space formerly occupied by the duo's Italian spot Marco's. Rose's is a more casual operation, and has funky, retro décor to match, with colorful artwork on the walls, auditorium-style seating, and a large "EAT" sign on one wall.
[Daniel Kreiger for Eater NY]
(↑) Nightlife maven Ravi DeRossi opened Mother of Pearl in the East Village space once occupied by his gin-centric bar Gin Palace. His new venture is tiki-inspired, and the interiors are appropriately funky: The bar stools look like tiki totems; the color scheme is all tropical tones of green and coral; and there are decorative touches (golden pineapples used as vases, floral light fixtures) that evoke the feel of vintage Hawaii.
(↑) Emporium Design, the outfit behind hotspots like Boulton & Watt and American Whiskey, designed the rustic-chic interior of Drexler's, the latest from restaurateur Darin Rubell. Inside, you'll find exposed-brick walls, soft white church pews, and an upright piano in a corner.
(↑) The former Caffe Dante on Macdougal Street was transformed earlier this year into Dante, an airy space with whitewashed brick walls, a tin ceiling, and cream-colored banquettes. A splash of color comes courtesy of a stripe of British racing green around the bar, and the original Caffé Danté sign remains on the window.
(↑) The Sixty Soho hotel got a bona fide restaurant this summer with Sessanta, a coastal Italian spot with a clubby, retro vibe. Mood lighting illuminates framed art on the wood-paneled walls, and curved banquettes offer plenty of cozy seating.
(↑) Celebrated chef Jonathan Waxman opened a reincarnated version of his seminal '80s restaurant Jams in the brand new 1 Hotel Central Park. The interior belies its tony Central Park address, with industrial-chic touches like exposed brick, metal bar stools, and light fixtures with exposed bulbs.
(↑) Sample "tempura omakase" at Tempura Matsui, which opened in July near the UN Building. The space has a sparse feel, with light wood benches, bamboo decorative elements, and a stone lobby that looks like it came straight from a Japanese zen garden.
(↑) John Fraser's Dovetail closed for a top-to-bottom renovation in June, and reopened in July with a space that the restaurateur says is "the expression of my nostalgia and child-like wonderment." In an interview with Eater NY, he said that, "My goal in this was to make the most casual feeling, most residential feeling, fine dining restaurant in NYC." He achieves that with touches like sand sculptures, pieces of driftwood, and cozy pillows.
· All Eater Inside Coverage [Eater NY]