From Gabriel Stulman, the restaurateur behind a handful of spots in New York’s West Village, Simon & The Whale – a name inspired by the whale-patterned gifts given to his toddler Simon – is a corner street-facing neighbourhood restaurant on the ground floor of the city’s new Freehand hotel.
As with the rest of the property, design firm Roman and Williams has highlighted the original details of the building – the former George Washington Hotel – while revealing its signature aesthetic with a warm palette of Iroko millwork, rich mint-hued marble, green ceramic tiles and burnished brass accents throughout.
A laidback and cosy setting then, to indulge in chef Matt Griffin’s modern American menu which includes dishes such as the black bass crudo served with shiso, puffed rice and coconut milk; tasty cauliflower dressed with veal tongue pastrami; and the deliciously crips pork collar Milanese topped with aioli, apricot mostarda and arugula.
Upstairs, Stulman also oversees Studio, the light-filled all-day café and the George Washington Bar, an intimate den, set in the former library, where cocktails such as Nothing Gold Can Stay – a concoction made with dry vermouth, umeshu, benedictine and sakura – are served alongside a menu of small bites.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
23 Lexington Avenue
-
Technogym’s new Pilates reformer blends peak performance with sleek designThe Technogym Reform is the latest addition to the company’s design-led equipment roster, made from sustainable materials including apple-skin leather
-
Kaari Upson’s unsettling, grotesque and seductive world in DenmarkThe Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark is staging the first comprehensive survey of late artist Kaari Upson’s work
-
Seven up in an ID.Buzz – Volkswagen’s latest all-electric MPV deserves a brighter futureWe see if the VW ID.Buzz is cut out for everyday life by taking a road trip in Volkswagen’s newly extended electric micro-bus
-
At The Ned Nomad in New York, home comforts meet a lively atmosphereThis 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
