It’s no secret that New York is home to some of the most remarkable galleries and museums in the world. However, only the truly hip know that a handful of the city’s restaurants, with their head-turning collections, are also arts destinations in their own right. These dining establishments include both special occasion venues and casual venues that see the same customers day after day. Their cuisine is also outstanding, but aside from the food and wine lists, the art displayed on their walls alone is worth the trip. Here, our list:
Casa Lever, Midtown Manhattan A staple among media and hedge fund titans for energizing lunches and after-work drinks, this chic Milanese venue in the iconic Lever House building celebrated its 10th anniversary last year by introducing a collection of works by Damien Hirst in his mood. Among the six significant pieces by the noted British artist is Since the Majority of Me Rejects the Majority of You (2006) – a gloss paint image of butterflies on canvas hung in the restaurant’s private dining room. His famous 2-MERCAPTOPURINE is featured in the main dining room, as is another butterfly painting, Fun Lovin, from 2008.
Baccarat bar Don’t let the name fool you: the bar at this glitzy hotel is also the place to dine, whether it’s lobster salad for lunch or hand-rolled ravioli with white truffles for dinner. And it is here that renowned French curators, along with husband and wife Stéphanie and Frédéric Chambre, have assembled a one-of-a-kind art collection that spans various aesthetic movements since 1764, the year Baccarat was founded. Guests can admire museum-quality pieces during their meal, made by acclaimed artists like Slims Aaron, Robert Longo, Ellen von Unsworth, Joaquin Ferrer, Jean-Philippe Aubanel, Segui, Nan Goldin and Eduardo Arroyo.
Cafe Antonucci Owner and chef Francesco Antonucci doesn’t let the intimate size of his Italian restaurant stop him from showing more than 150 works from his personal collection, which line every inch of the walls, from the dining room and bar to the bathrooms. . Style wise, its parts are diverse; artist Christo, for example, once a client and acquaintance, presented Antonucci with a trio of black plates – each affixed with the chef’s famous ravioli. A painting of two alien-looking dogs is courtesy of American painter and street artist Kenny Sharf, while photographer Bert Stern is behind the images of Marilyn Monroe. Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat and Italian architect and artist Gaetano Pesce also feature among Antonucci’s myriad works.
Aquavit The temple of Nordic cuisine, two Michelin stars, pays tribute to women artists working with photography. Owner Hakan Swahn consulted the Skarstedt Gallery to choose each piece. Laurie Simmons is behind the photography of dolls in the kitchen, as well as the image of the iconic bottle of Aquavit displayed in the bar. Works by Louise Lawler hang in one of the private dining rooms while a black and white painting by Sue Williams decorates the other. Swahn also worked with PACE Gallery to select works by New York artist Josh Smith, including a colorful abstract painting displayed in front of the bar.
T-bar See and be seen The Upper East Side T Bar’s new American steakhouse is loyal to Roberto Dutesco, a Canadian-born Romanian artist with a distinct love for wild horses who has dedicated his career to capturing their beauty and raising awareness in the world. needed for their preservation. T Bar’s foray into the art world came in 2019, when owner Tony Fortunato met Dutesco through a friend and immediately fell in love with his work. In addition to several images of horses roaming freely in the wild, T Bar has several photographs of California’s Giant Poppies and Dutesco’s Birds of Paradise, which are cast as sun flares. Powerful indeed.
peak At The Peak, the new modern American restaurant on the 101st floor of 30 Hudson Yards, diners can have a hard time choosing what to pay the most attention to; is it the impressive views of the city, or is it the art? The property’s nine-room collection includes a structure mural by New York artist Malcom Hill and wall art by Margaret Boozer and Petr Weigl, to name a few. There is also a blue piece in mixed media on aluminum by British artist Jason Martin and a canvas by American artist Anthony Pearson.
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