The streets of downtown New York welcomed another top table last week with the much-anticipated opening of Andrew Carmellini's French eatery, simply called Lafayette. In contrast to the décor of his other hot spots, the Dutch and Locanda Verde, Lafayette is splendidly dramatic. Set in the basement of an iconic William Hardenbergh building in Noho, the sprawling, all-day-dining restaurant is a modern interpretation of France's Grand Cafés.
The sumptuous interior, which boasts custom pendant lights, statuesque tiled columns and a cork ceiling, comes courtesy of Roman + Williams, who have brought their trademark brand of nostalgic elegance to the two-storey space, which most notably includes a bright, airy bakery. The menu is reassuringly good, too, with a hefty offering of rotisserie meats (all cooked in full view of the dining room on an exposed rotisserie) and nouveau French favourites, like duck au poivre and grilled octopus with smoky eggplant.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
380 Lafayette Street
New York
USA
-
Rachel Whiteread creates silver collection for Puiforcat inspired by corrugated cardboardThe Turner Prize-winning artist reinterprets imperfection in a new silverware collection with French maison Puiforcat
-
Meet Malak Mattar, the Palestinian artist behind the 'Together for Palestine' concert at London's Wembley ArenaThe London-based artist curates a landmark concert of music and art in support of Gaza, alongside Brian Eno, James Blake, Jamie xx, Neneh Cherry and more
-
A new coffee table book proves that one designer’s trash is another’s treasureThe Rizzoli tome, launching today (16 September 2025), delves into the philosophy and process of Retrouvius, a design studio reclaiming salvaged materials in weird and wonderful ways
-
This boisterous cocktail bar in Denver was inspired by Le CorbusierA 1950s furniture showroom has been reborn as a modernist social hub in the city’s Sunnyside neighbourhood. Its cocktails? Semiprecious
-
In Los Angeles, Darling doesn’t want to be your average dinner spotVinyl, live-fire cooking, and California’s finest ingredients come together in this immersive new concept from a celebrated Southern chef
-
The best dinner party in San Francisco is thrown at this bistro and vinyl barA new chapter begins in Mission Creek as Side A opens in the former Universal Café space
-
Daisy Margarita Bar reimagines the Mexican tavern with vaquero flair in Los AngelesFrom frozen guacamole margaritas to lamb shank with frijoles puercos, this new Sherman Oaks destination mixes playful gastronomy with tradition
-
Javier's, a new cathedral-inspired restaurant in downtown LA, offers a divine take on Mexican cuisineAt the restaurant's newest location, discovery lies around every corner – and on every plate
-
Why everyone in LA is talking about Café TondoHelmed by chef Valeria Velásquez and designed by Aunt Studio, this new spot delivers Latin American buzz all day long
-
Size doesn’t matter at Now Now, a micro-hotel for solo travellers in New YorkCan you pack style into 32 square feet? We find out
-
At this LA dining hotspot, go Spanish or Japanese as you pleaseA dual-concept dining destination designed by the Rockwell Group brings Mediterranean warmth and Japanese precision to Century City
