When Sotheby’s moved into its new headquarters inside Madison Avenue’s Breuer Building last fall, antiquities, art, and jewels weren’t the only headline news: the international auction house was also opening a restaurant.
Now open, Marcel is the result of a partnership between Sotheby’s and design firm Roman and Williams and ushers this historic building into a new era. First built in 1966, the building has long been a focal point for the city’s art scene, housing the Whitney Museum for 50 years, and acting as an outpost for The Met and a temporary storage space for the Frick Collection since. A Brutalist marvel, the building’s domineering look proved polarizing.
But, in its reinvention of the Breuer Building, Roman and Williams were set on upholding every inch of the original fabric. The restaurant is on the lower ground floor, overlooked by the sprawling lobby, and that Brutalist aesthetic – all harsh concrete walls and huge, double-height windows – is thrown into stark contrast with Marcel’s more romantic character, where pink-hued floral displays sit on top of pure-white pressed linens.
The firm created a signature tableware and interiors line for the restaurant (all available to purchase), that incorporates various international design principles including Bauhaus-inspired seating, Art Deco-esque lighting, and Japanese-leaning glassware.
The main dining area is positioned around a bustling open kitchen – there’s booths and banquettes, as well as an intimate private dining space for 25. For pre- and post-dinner drinks, head to the glamorous bar – all mirrors, bronze lighting, and sultry attitude. And when the forecast is favorable, The Whitney’s former sculpture garden, now reimagined as a 70-seat outdoor dining space, awaits.
Sotheby’s artistic influence is naturally peppered throughout, too, and those concrete walls are decorated with paintings and sculptures (some on loan, others in residence), including Roy Lichtenstein’s Mirror #1 (Four Panels), Untitled (1949) by Louise Bourgeois, and a Gustav Klimt study. It wouldn’t be hyperbole to say Marcel is one of the best restaurants in New York to see – and buy – art.
Like the art, the drinks list calls on Sotheby’s international prestige, and includes a varied wine menu of new and established producers, created in partnership with the auction house.
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Marcel’s food menu is the work of Paris-born chef-partner Marie-Aude Rose, and pulls on her French culinary upbringing, interlaced with classic New York dining principles. There’s snails in golden garlicky butter with toasted baguette; beef-laced onion with grouyere-topped sourdough; and daily dressed oysters to start.
Entrees are straight-talking: choose your meat or your fish, your accompanying sauce, and your sides. This is high-end dining but Marcel isn’t about the restrictive tasting menu or teeny portions.
