See inside the fabulous new Armani/Ristorante on Madison Avenue
Just a few weeks after the brand-new Louis Vuitton cafe debuted on Fifth Avenue to much fanfare, another luxury brand goes all in on New York City’s culinary world: the upscale Armani/Ristorante is officially open at 760 Madison Avenue by 66th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
This isn’t Giorgio Armani’s first foray into the lifestyle space: Armani Hotels have been operating successfully in cities across the world—from Milan to Dubai, Miami, Mumbai and Istanbul—for years now.
“This opening, on the eve of my 90th birthday, is an important personal milestone because it crystallizes my vision of style in the city that was perhaps the first to truly embrace it,” Armani said in an official statement.
The new restaurant, found inside the namesake boutique, currently serves a pre-fixe lunch service of two, three or four courses, plus an a la carte dinner menu. Standout dishes includes the steak tartare with saffron crumble and bone marrow, an eggplant served with datterino jus and mozzarella absolute and a Maine lobster prepared with grapefruit and zabaione.
Drink-wise, creative concoctions like the Garibaldi In Love (Tito’s vodka, Campari, yerba mate, lemon and grapefruit) and the Antarctic martini (chilled -40 Chopin family reserved and a drop of Sicilian olive oil) share menu space with more traditional cocktails.
But most impressive of all are the 4,156 square feet of space on the ground floor of the boutique that make up the restaurant as a whole. Expect large marble slaps all over, with mirrored walls that “evoke the timeless elegance of the 1930s and 1940s,” according to an official press release.
Upon entering, you’ll be greeted by a striking curved staircase with lucite railing that looks over the main dining room, itself overlooking Madison Avenue (the large windows throughout the space will help you properly people watch).
To the right, a cozy five-seat champagne bar is sure to become a go-to among the city’s “it” crowd alongside the private second dining room find just beyond the bar.
The second-floor mezzanine might feel a bit more personal: with 40 seats in total and a glass wine display where 400 bottles are currently on view, the area also features trinkets and books from Armani’s own travels. In a way, you’ll feel like you’re inside of Armani’s own house—and we imagine that is exactly the point.
At the moment, Armani/Ristorante is open for lunch service from noon to 2:30pm and for dinner from 5:30pm to 9:30pm from Mondays through Saturdays.