Reserve Cut @ Park (RC2)
Park Ave, NY
Photos courtesy Reserve Cut at Park & RDHA
New York City’s #1 fine dining kosher restaurant, Reserve Cut, proudly unveils its second location in Midtown Manhattan’s iconic Lombardy Hotel. RDHA had worked on the existing space of Reserve Cut at 40 Broad and designed this new space with an eye towards a contemporary update to the historic Lombardy shell.
Built during the roaring twenties by William Randolph Hearst for his mistress, the silent film star Marion Davies, who was known for her elaborate dinner parties within the glamourous hotel restaurant.
Like the duality of Reserve Cut’s menu of aged steaks and artisanal sushi, we married the hotels historic architectural charm with our contemporary interior design vocabulary. Patrons enter through a classic entry arch, under a canopy and are met by a modern, geometric onyx maître-d’ station.
This duality continues, as they proceed toward the main dining space, under an arched vault containing a sculptural water-wall, with a black granite plinth displaying elongated cut glass vases with a sensuous floral arrangement. Turning the corner one enters the “hall of whispers” a dramatic elongated hall with a series of eighteen contemporary arches, blurring the Classic vs. Modern design vocabulary.
Reaching a reinterpreted “living room,” a historic bar anchors the room with three classical arches. A pair of elongated high-top tables face a modern vapor-fireplace within a classic stone mantel. Here, all the intricate wall and ceiling molding details have been preserved and further enhanced with gold pin-striped accents.
Beyond the bar is a “secret grotto” used for intimate wine tastings, paired with small plates. This cozy-cave has been sculpted into a continuous three-quarter flying arched vault, that is custom lit by hand-cut crystal pendant fixtures, creating an other-worldly contemporary effect.
Adjacent to the living room is the grand dining room along with a series of private dining spaces. Here guests pass through an arched threshold, under an original 1920’s clock that has been carefully restored.
The grand dining-room terminates in a dramatic thirty-foot-long arched back-lit wine wall. The entire space is lit by a series of illuminated strands that weave the dining spaces together under a constellation of light. Sumptuous leather banquettes anchor the back walls providing commanding views of the dining-room.
Meanwhile, voyeuristic glimpses are encouraged between the booths, which are separated by delicate gold beaded strands. These flirtatious moments harken back to the restaurant’s original roaring twenties glory.
Wellness Architecture + Interiors