Chefs Club — New York, USA

The first thing you see as you walk into Chefs Club is a giant rock of suspended salt- Himalayan sea salt to be exact. Weighing in at an impressive 1,395 pounds, the conversation-starting art piece betrays the hand of designer Murray Moss, who has curated a number of works in the already engaging space. Conceived by Food & Wine magazine, together with Chefs Club USA, the restaurant promises the changing roster of rising American chefs a brightly lit stage in New York City. Located in the iconic Puck Building in Manhattan’s Nolita neighbourhood, the brick-walled restaurant with its cast iron columns, vaulted ceilings and sprawling windows has been given the David Rockwell treatment, to feature cosy midnight blue banquets, offset by marble countertops and brass details. Moss meanwhile has installed a wall of sketched portraits that showcase the culinary talents- a cheeky nod to the traditional American Italian eateries in the city. Equally exciting, the first cycle of chefs includes Food & Wine’s Best New Chef winners from Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon in Portland, to Linton Hopkins from Holeman & Finch Public House in Atlanta. All menus feature dishes created specifically for the restaurant.