Daniel Boulud's Downtown Venture Opens for Lunch, Private Room Still in the Works

For those looking to entertain clients at a casual spot downtown, Daniel Boulud's latest venture—a beer and sausage-focused brasserie on the Bowery dubbed DBGB—opened for lunch this week. The site, a fitting complement to the chef and restaurateur's collection of upscale eateries, officially opened Monday, June 8, and will debut its private room in the next few weeks.

Sporting a modern but informal interior designed by Thomas Schlesser, DBGB Kitchen & Bar offers 175 seats with views into the partially open kitchen and serves a menu that includes more than a dozen house-made sausages, 22 draft beers, and 30 European bottled brews. Although it is a casual place, the restaurant does accept reservations.

Aside from the view into the kitchen, the most striking visual components at DBGB are the culinary references found throughout the space. In the front, the walls of the 40-seat bar and cafe area are covered with full-length mirrors decorated with quotes about food and drink. Floor-to-ceiling shelves surround the 140-seat main dining room and, like a museum, house a collection of copper cookware donated to Boulud by chefs around the world. Alongside these pots and pans, flatware, china, linens, glassware, and dry goods sit on the dark-stained ash ledges, giving the room the warm atmosphere of a neighborhood bistro.

For groups, the south wall of the dining room is lined with six oversize U-shaped booths, suitable for semiprivate dining. The private room, a 14 seater that can only be accessed through the pastry cooking area, is not yet complete, but will be available by next month.