Imagine walking into a restaurant and buying (almost) everything around you, from cutlery to paintings, from plates to furnishings: for many, it would be a dream. A few months ago, that wish seemed to have come true (more or less): Marcel, the restaurant that opened in New York inside the headquarters of Sotheby's, one of the world's leading auction houses. A place where you can sit down, order a tasty dish, and simultaneously admire a wonderful work of art that you can also purchase.
The Incredible Fusion Between a Restaurant and An Art Gallery
Marcel is located in the famous Breuer Building on Madison Avenue and was designed by Roman & Williams, a studio led by Robin and Stephen Alesch, already known to the New York public for their work on the interiors of several elegant restaurants in the city. A project that is difficult to define unequivocally, it sits halfway between a restaurant and an art gallery: here, the two experiences merge to create a one-of- a-kind experience where, while you sit, you can admire works by artists such as Joan Mitchell, Andy Warhol, and Henri Matisse hanging on the walls.
And this is where the most surprising thing comes in: you're not just a simple spectator, but you can take part in the auctions organized, thanks to dedicated devices, with the option of purchasing, directly from your table, works of art and furnishings displayed in the space. This isn't a themed venue, but rather a project born with a specific purpose: to seamlessly and immersively integrate the worlds of restaurant and art, building an elegant, refined yet natural dialogue.
France Meets the U.S. in The Menu
Now let's move on to what interests us most: what do we eat at Marcel? Chef Marie-Aude Rose, in charge of the kitchen, combines her French roots with the cosmopolitan spirit of New York. The result is an elegant yet contemporary and accessible menu, ranging from a classic confit de canard (duck confit) to a côte de boeuf (beef rib), to dishes like lobster with roasted pineapple accompanied by a turmeric and ginger cream. And when it comes to France, we can't leave out the pastries, and Marcel doesn't disappoint: alongside the savory offerings, there's a sweet selection of pastries and viennoiseries, completing an experience that blends cuisine, design, and aesthetics in one unique place.
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