Restaurant Daniel, the crown jewel of Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire, has reopened with new menu items, reimagined interiors, an Art Deco-inspired bar designed by Lalique along with a new rotating art installation. The Michelin-starred Chef Boulud has also promoted Chef Eddy Leroux, previously the restaurant’s chef de cuisine for more than 17 years to executive chef, and Shaun Velez, formerly executive pastry chef at Café Boulud, to executive pastry chef.
“Throughout the 28 years of Restaurant Daniel, it has always been an honor to work alongside the most talented, passionate and creative executive chefs in the kitchen, as well as in pastry,” says Boulud. “Today, our newly appointed executive chefs, Eddy Leroux and Shaun Velez, are joining their talents to ensure that Restaurant Daniel’s strong commitment to hospitality and culinary excellence stay creative, relevant, exciting and delicious as it concludes its third decade in the New York City dining scene.”
The Pennsylvania Sasso chicken at Restaurant Daniel
After a challenging year for restaurants around the world, seeing fine dining mecca Restaurant Daniel return with a flourish is indeed promising. “We are eager to present a fresh, delectable experience in our artistic setting and warm ambiance. Our New York finest hospitality is back, and so is Daniel,” says Boulud. The 3,000-square-foot dining room has been reimagined by its original interior designer, Tihany Design. A stunning polished stainless steel arched entrance, reimagined lounge area and a new crystal-accented bar area designed in partnership with French design house Lalique are all on display at the Upper East Side restaurant. In the main dining room, modern updates like undulating wood screens, custom-designed carpets, furniture and lighting make the vibe more contemporary. As part of the interior renovation, Chef Boulud has created a dedicated series of biannual exhibitions to be on display in the historic neoclassical dining room, the intimate Upper Lounge and the private Bellecour Room.
Curated in conjunction with art advisor Janis Gardner Cecil, large-scale landscape paintings by artist Alex Katz and a selection of works by Robert Mapplethorpe are showcased. “We are all excited to reintroduce such a majestic and storied restaurant,” says Sebastien Silvestri, CEO of Boulud’s Dinex Group. “We have made a significant investment to elevate every inch of the interiors. The culinary team has gone to great lengths to refine the menu, ultimately creating a restaurant that is modern, relevant, inviting and unique. The all-new Restaurant Daniel is a perfect example of how we’re meeting the moment, and pushing our teams to be creative and set new standards for ourselves and fine dining in New York City.”
