In the fickle world of restaurants, reincarnations are an everyday occurrence. In New York, no one knows this better than Empire Diner, an iconic four-decade-old eatery in West Chelsea that has recently reopened for the third time.
The restaurant’s landmark art moderne exterior, which made a cameo in Woody Allen’s Manhattan, remains untouched, but local firm Nemaworkshop reworked the interiors to deliver a modern interpretation of a buzzy diner without completely abandoning its historic style. In fact, after looking through old photos of the space, the designers decided to reference its original industrial aesthetic in a few ways, including adding stainless steel replicas of the sunburst panels that used to decorate the original diner when it was first unveiled in 1976.
But mostly, the two-floor eatery’s current vibe feels contemporary and bright. A portion of the main dining room, set against the bar on the first floor, combines blonde wood booths and carrera marble tables with steel accented pendant lighting, while the the leather banquettes, brick walls, and curvy custom-made wood furniture that adorn the other sections of the restaurant oozes warmth and comfort.
This continues to chef John DeLucie’s menu, which partners elevated diner fare (indulgent wedge salad dressed with blue cheese sauce and hearty pastrami sandwich) with light, modern favourites (yellowtail crudo in a jalapeño broth and an addictive beef carpaccio).
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
210 10th Avenue
-
Best of Design Miami Paris 2025: animal sculptures and musical ping-pong tablesDesign Miami Paris returns to the Hôtel de Maisons (until 26 October 2025): here are the Wallpaper* highlights
-
Sam Falls is inspired by nature’s unpredictability in living works for RuinartThe artist creates works that are in-between photography and painting as part of Ruinart's Conversations with Nature series
-
Michael Graves’ house in Princeton is the postmodernist gem you didn’t know you could visitThe Michael Graves house – the American postmodernist architect’s own New Jersey home – is possible to visit, but little known; we take a tour and explore its legacy
-
At Duryea’s Sunset Cottages in The Hamptons, it’s all about stillness and open horizonsA beloved Hampton restaurant becomes a tucked-away retreat set on a windswept bluff above Fort Pond Bay in Montauk
-
The return of Genghis Cohen: LA’s cult Chinese diner lives onThe 1980s Chinese-American landmark returns with red booths, neon nostalgia, and a fresh dose of Hollywood eccentricity
-
A24 just opened a restaurant in New York, and it’s as cinematic as you’d expectHidden in the West Village, Wild Cherry pairs a moody, arthouse sensibility with a supper-style menu devised by the team behind Frenchette
-
Seven kitchens, one fire: inside LA’s hottest new food marketAt Maydan Market, chef Rose Previte turns global street food and layered design into a vibrant, fire-lit experience
-
The Viceroy Hotel Group wants you to get on your bikeAcross properties in Santa Monica, Chicago, Washington DC and the Algarve, Viceroy guests can experience curated cycling routes and community events
-
Big flavours and bold design define La Nena Cantina, Los Angeles's newest Mexican hotspotFrom handmade tortillas to 40-ingredient mole, this new Sunset Boulevard restaurant takes Mexican cuisine seriously
-
Aperitivo time is this Los Angeles bar’s ‘ragione di vita’Located in Echo Park, Bar Bacetti is a welcoming haunt celebrating the great Italian ‘art of snacking’
-
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
