Earlier this year, the Morgans Hotel Group briefly closed its Midtown property, the Royalton hotel, for a large-scale renovation (to the tune of $17.5 million), reopening earlier this month. Last Thursday, restaurateur John McDonald (the man behind such stylish spots as Lever House and Lure Fishbar) opened the reimagined in-house restaurant, Brasserie 44.
Design firm Roman and Williams, which was responsible for the hotel's redesign, also worked on the interiors of the lobby-level restaurant and bar. Updates to the 110-seat eatery include the use of light-toned materials such as teak woods and pale buffalo skins and leathers to highlight the airy space, adding eye-catching woven rope arches (which form a net of geometric patterns), and lighting the room with blown-glass globes. In contrast, the bar—Bar 44—has a darker design, with rosewood and mahogany woods and earth-toned seating.Brasserie 44 offers a modern American menu from executive chef Scott Ekstrom, who was chef de cuisine at Oceana and worked with Daniel Boulud at Daniel. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant also provides in-room fare for hotel guests and can be booked for private events.
Design firm Roman and Williams, which was responsible for the hotel's redesign, also worked on the interiors of the lobby-level restaurant and bar. Updates to the 110-seat eatery include the use of light-toned materials such as teak woods and pale buffalo skins and leathers to highlight the airy space, adding eye-catching woven rope arches (which form a net of geometric patterns), and lighting the room with blown-glass globes. In contrast, the bar—Bar 44—has a darker design, with rosewood and mahogany woods and earth-toned seating.Brasserie 44 offers a modern American menu from executive chef Scott Ekstrom, who was chef de cuisine at Oceana and worked with Daniel Boulud at Daniel. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant also provides in-room fare for hotel guests and can be booked for private events.
Brasserie 44's upgraded design.
Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Hotel
The restaurant has woven arches, teak dining tables, and cream-colored leather banquettes.
Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Hotel
Intertwined with the lobby in both design and space, the interior of Bar 44 is comparatively darker than the restaurant, with rosewood and mahogany woods and earth-toned seating.
Photo: Courtesy of the Royalton Hotel
