Qiu Anxiong wall mural at Atlas Kitchen restaurant, New York, USA
(Image credit: atlaskitchennyc.com)

Manhattan’s Upper West Side is not exactly known for its trendsetting nature, but a new Chinese eatery, Atlas Kitchen is making a stride with its unique confluence of east and west.

Inspired by one of China’s oldest myths, The Classics of Mountains and Seas, the restaurant’s contemporary design and cuisine is everything a typical Chinese restaurant is not. Shanghai and New York-based firm New Practice Studio, has carved the space into three distinct areas: taking centre stage in the main section is a mural, painted with Chinese ink on plaster, by artist Qiu Anxiong; this is followed by an area with a communal table, where an architectural framework festooned with greenery hangs overhead; and lastly, a private dining room that has horseshoe banquettes and exposed bulb lighting, where diners look out onto the main dining area behind draped curtains. 

This comes together in a palette of blue, grey and brown that references ancient Chinese maps, while details such as floor tiles carved to resemble the shapes of mountains and the ripple-like curvilinear edge of the entrance’s awning to look like water, is completed by a comprehensive Chinese menu that draws from all of China’s eight culinary regions to thrill even the most jaded of diners.

Restaurant with tables and chairs

(Image credit: atlaskitchennyc.com)

Dining room at Atlas Kitchen restaurant, New York, USA

(Image credit: atlaskitchennyc.com)

Atlas Kitchen restaurant private dining room, New York, USA

(Image credit: atlaskitchennyc.com)

Atlas Kitchen restaurant communal dining room, New York, USA

(Image credit: atlaskitchennyc.com)

INFORMATION

Website

ADDRESS

258 W 109th St

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Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.