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.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
258 W 109th St
-
A Karuizawa house is a soothing, work-from-home retreat in JapanTakeshi Hirobe Architects play with scale and space, creating a tranquil residence in which to live and work
-
Vincent Van Duysen launches ‘most modern’ Zara Home collectionThe fourth instalment of architect Vincent Van Duysen’s collaboration with Zara Home introduces a modernist sensibility, with new materials and refined, architectural forms
-
For its US debut, Formafantasma goes back to basicsOn view at Friedman Benda this summer, the show is the result of the Milan-based studio's ongoing fascination with history, technology and domesticity
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Ned Nomad in New YorkThis hotel and social club is a vibrant hub of hospitality that evokes 1920s glamour for members and visitors alike
-
For the breakfast lover that is not a morning person, this Hollywood café is for youStart your day with a ceremonial strawberry matcha latte and freshly baked viennoiseries amid the glamour of Café Goldie at the W Hollywood
-
The best bars in New York for stiff drinks and stunning designFrom five-star hotel lobby bars on the Upper East Side to discreet downtown drinking dens, these are the best spots to sip and soak in the ambiance
-
Beverly Hills’ latest hot ticket is a Chinese restaurant with a hidden speakeasy feelChef Mei Lin’s 88 Club pays tribute to the prosperity, success, and good fortune symbolised by the number 8 in Chinese culture
-
You can now stay at this iconic modernist house in Palm DesertThe Desert Wave, a modernist revival project by Stayner Architects, with interiors by Design Within Reach and Paul Smith, is available to book
-
Find bubbly, chewy, perfectly crusted pizza at Cosetta, LA’s new Westside Italian gemLocated in a slightly industrial area by the Santa Monica airport, Cosetta, from pizza maestro Zach Pollack, champions the local Italian dining scene with tradition and innovation
-
Ghanaian cuisine has a story to tell at Washington, DC restaurant ElminaThe new restaurant is chef Eric Adjepong’s colourful ode to the recipes he grew up loving
-
Fancy a matcha-beer cocktail? Visit this dashing new LA restaurantCafé 2001 channels the spirit of an American diner with the flow of a European bistro and the artistry of Japanese cuisine
