When Beefbar opened its first restaurant in Monte-Carlo in 2005, the appetite for the elevated steakhouse concept was so large that before long, founder Riccardo Giraudi found himself with an international empire encompassing locations in over 15 countries. It’s slightly surprising that it has taken almost 20 years for the brand to reach New York City, but with a newly opened space in Tribeca now welcoming diners, it’s been worth the wait.
For Beefbar’s first foray across the pond, the team chose a 1920s building constructed in the grand art deco style typical of the period. With a commanding facade, soaring ceilings, giant arched windows, and plenty of original details, the space has all the grandeur the team sought. French studio Humbert & Poyet, which has designed several Beefbar outposts – including Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, and the original in Monaco – were brought in once again to outfit the restaurant and bar to fit the brand’s decadent DNA, as well as the historic context. As the studio’s first US project, there was added significance too. ‘We wanted to take it as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves and dare while maintaining the essence of our design ethos,’ said designers Christophe Poyet and Emil Humbert.
Visit the newly-opened Beefbar New York
The space is divided into two: the bright and open restaurant occupies the larger area, with a warmer, darker, more intimate bar area adjacent. Humbert & Poyet intentionally exaggerated the contrasting atmospheres in each, to reflect what they refer to as a ‘specific New York way of dining and living,’ and to offer guests different experiences depending on their moods.
Surrounded on two sides by the building’s huge windows, which allow light to pour into the space during the day, the brasserie-style restaurant features a neutral colour palette of pale pinks and browns that are accented with rich marbles. The windows are edged in red garnet marble, while the Verde Alpi tables play off the aqua-green velvet-upholstered banquette cushions. Textured wall panels form a geometric grid around the lower portions of the walls, while plaster bas-reliefs of stylized plant motifs are installed above.
The floral theme is continued in custom cacti-shaped bronze sconces with alabaster diffusers and various patterned fabrics. ‘Many of the patterns and materials found throughout the restaurant feature organic forms inspired by nature to give a nod to the Art Deco history of the building,’ said Humbert & Poyet. ‘These elements bring a certain elegance, warmth, and conviviality to the grand space.’
An open kitchen is clad with fluted wall panels of more garnet marble and wood, with suede and brass rails contrasting the dark terrazzo floor. ‘In this space, we wanted to associate different textures and patterns, such as the custom stools upholstered in the Rocher fabric from our Villa Riviera collection for Nobilis,’ the designers said. Beefbar’s signature display of meat cuts in glass-fronted chillers flanks the passage that connects through to the bar and also provides access to equally lavish private dining rooms.
In the bar, the material palette switches to dark woods, leather wall panels, and tinted antique mirrors that cover columns and the lower ceiling. ‘The client wanted to have a spectacular bar area that was not at all discreet – through this, we could really express ourselves and create a strong emotion,’ Humbert & Poyet said. A giant curtain adorned with a bold pattern can be drawn across the space to separate an area for private events, and a central DJ booth allows a roster of music talents to spin into the night.
The New York City location marks a pivotal moment for both Beefbar and Humbert & Poyet, whose ongoing collaboration continues to produce dynamic dining and drinking spaces. ‘As with all our Beefbar projects, it was essential to us that overall aesthetic would reflect the cosmopolitan soul of the city as well as its history,’ the designers concluded. Come early for the Wagyu; stay late for the cocktail party.
-
‘The United States of América’: how Willy Chavarria is rewriting American fashionWallpaper* catches up with Willy Chavarria, who staged his latest show, ‘América’, in a disused bank on New York’s Wall Street yesterday evening (September 6 2024)
-
Designer India Mahdavi on her perfect restaurant experienceAs part of Laila Gohar's guest editorship, she asked friends in the industry and her wider creative circle to relive their perfect restaurant experience. Here, designer India Mahdavi recounts a perfect night dining under the pitch-black Egyptian sky
-
Mark Armijo McKnight’s bodily landscapes capture the tactile serenity of the American WestThe artist’s new exhibition at the Whitney Museum, which is organised by the museum curator Drew Sawyer, offers a succinct window into his contemplative suggestion of queering a landscape
-
NYC’s Massara Osteria Campana is designed to evoke dining in someone’s homeMassara Osteria Campana occupies a rare two-storey building in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, with warm, rustic interiors by Sarah Carpenter & Studio
-
Check into the exclusive Missoni x Delta One Lounge at JFKMissoni dresses the airline’s Delta One amenity kits and lounge in its playful colours and patterns
-
Dallas Navigator: a guide to the city, from cocktails to cowboy cultureDallas has a booming arts district, the most hotels currently under construction of any city in the US, and cowboy culture in spades: the ‘Big D’ is riding high
-
Embrace solitude at Folly Mojave, an off-grid desert retreatFolly Mojave is a wilderness escape enveloped by hundreds of square miles of natural scenery and designed by LA-based architect Malek Alqadi
-
Sandbourne Santa Monica heralds a ceramic oasis by the seaCheck into Sandbourne Santa Monica, a new hotel concept moments away from the city’s fabled pier and Venice Beach
-
The Ritz-Carlton, Portland blends luxury design with the wilds of the Pacific NorthwestWith architecture by GBD Architects and interiors by ROAM, the new Ritz-Carlton outpost brings the Oregon wilderness to downtown Portland
-
Dine under a colossal Zaha Hadid sculpture at Elastika in MiamiElastika opens its doors as a one-of-a-kind dining destination inside Miami Design District’s The Moore
-
Inside Two Fifteen, Ian Schrager and Nur Khan’s New York barTwo Fifteen at New York’s Public hotel captivates with sultry boudoir interiors and a four-stage cocktail menu
