The Monarch Room restaurant - New York, USA

Anything that opens up in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District these days always rouses a certain degree of expectation. All the more so for a restaurant the size of The Monarch Room. At a vast 4,500 sq ft, excluding the two private dining rooms on a second level, The Monarch Room is a decadent space that exudes the distinctive style of interior design firm Roman and Williams. A luscious green marble entrance opens onto a dining room that’s lined with a 20ft mahogany bar and sumptuous leather banquettes. These classic, dark wood accents are juxtaposed with roughly hewn concrete walls and a poured-in-place staircase that together make a subtle nod to the building’s past life as an industrial warehouse in the 1930s. The impressive surroundings are matched by the finely executed, fresh-market American menu created by chef Michael Citarella. Crispy hen-of-the-woods mushrooms served with buttermilk, and a tender pulled-pork shoulder paired with creamy grits and smoked paprika are just some of the dishes that hit the mark.