Marcus — Washington DC, USA

If it’s one thing American casino resorts have down to a fine art, it’s their ability to reel in top-notch restaurants – invariably headlined by a celebrity chef – and shoehorn them into the glittering line-up of gaming machines and floor shows.
For Marcus Samuelsson’s eponymous new restaurant in Maryland, the New York-based studio Parts and Labor Design have carved out a vast 5,700 sqft space on the ground floor of the newly minted Smith group-designed MGM National Harbor.
The décor is a modern mix – American craft overlaid with African-American influences by way of customised tribal wall tapestries, wooden spindles, and antique saws and drills. At the rear of the restaurant, French Colonial sliding doors lead into a supper club styled after Harlem jazz clubs from the Prohibition era.
In the kitchen, Samuelsson channels classic American flavours based on local Maryland ingredients. There are cornbread served with honey butter and tomato jam, crab dip gratin infused with lemongrass and ginger, and jerk chicken with black eyed peas, all washed down with an imaginative drinks list that’s powered by Catoctin Creek Roundstone rye and cardomon-infused Casa Noble Silver tequila.
And if the Black Jack table doesn’t tempt as a post-prandial diversion, then, the architectural excess of Washington D.C. is just, literally, minutes away across the state border.
INFORMATION
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
ADDRESS
101 MGM National Avenue
Oxon Hill
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Mercedes streamlines the CLA Shooting Brake to create an aerodynamic electric load lugger
The new CLA Shooting Brake is the first ever electric estate car from Mercedes-Benz, a tour-de-force of quiet technology and elegant lines
-
Willy Chavarria: ‘We’re still so stuck in fashion‘s old guard’
As part of the August 2025 ‘Made in America’ issue of Wallpaper*, we invited three creative powerhouses to comment on the state of the States. Here, award-winning American fashion designer Willy Chavarria speaks on creative resilience, uniting with activist groups, and shaking up fashion’s old guard
-
Six Indian artists reframe the ladies compartment of a Mumbai local train
An exhibition by Method (India) at Galerie Melike Bilir in Hamburg explores a gendered space
-
Beloved sushi restaurant Sōgo Roll Bar comes to Highland Park
The sushi hangout begins a new chapter in its second location, becoming the perfect spot for a quick grab-and-go or a relaxed tasting experience in east LA
-
Los Angeles’ best bars for craft cocktails and A-list design
From glamorous old Hollywood haunts to trend-setting neighbourhood hangouts, these hotspots serve excellent drinks in an atmosphere unlike anywhere else
-
A local architect’s guide to Joshua Tree
Mirtilla Alliata di Montereale shares her favourite things to do to slow down, look closely, and discover Joshua Tree through a more intentional lens
-
Meet artist Michael McGregor, using hotel stationery as his canvas
Michael McGregor unveils an exclusive postcard set made with notepads from The Luxury Collection properties in Minneapolis, San Francisco and Savannah
-
Home is where Beethoven Market is – a joyful Italian restaurant in LA’s Mar Vista
In Mar Vista, a historic space is reborn as a modern-day gathering spot, an Italian-infused restaurant where rotisserie chicken, handmade pasta and tableside tiramisu welcome you like family
-
Aman New York unveils exclusive US Open-themed experience
Aman’s ‘Season of Champions’ pairs Grand Slam action with personalised recovery and performance treatments designed by Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova
-
Caribbean cool meets mid-century glamour at this new LA hotspot
From golden mirrored chambers to jerk-spiced tomahawk steaks, Lucia reimagines Afro-Caribbean dining and design
-
Classic New York restaurants for delicious food and inspired design
From Michelin-starred fine dining to reimagined retro diners, these are the most emblematic (and easy-on-the-eye) places to eat in the Big Apple