"It will be a Four Seasons on steroids for the 21st century," L&L Holding principal David W. Levinson told the New York Post, referencing the nearby Four Seasons Restaurant, which will lose its lease next year.
L&L is the developer behind the 897-foot tower being designed by Sir Norman Foster, who is also designing the restaurant scheduled to open in 2018.
Restaurateur Will Guidara said that Foster is one of his "favorite architects in the world," and chef Daniel Humm said he's excited to bring a new fine-dining concept to the area that's been home to Manhattan's culinary greats.
Together, Guidara and Humm have elevated Eleven Madison Park and Nomad to three-Michelin-star status. And Eleven Madison Park holds the distinction of being the top-ranking North American restaurant on The World's 50 Best Restaurants List, where it sits at No. 5. "They are going for number one in the world," said Levinson.
What's in store at this yet-to-be-named project? All we know for now is that the restaurant will have two floors spanning 14,000 square feet; it will be located on the building's East 56th street side, and it will be extremely upscale.
One thing is for sure, though: If Humm and Guidara are looking to revive (or reinvent) the grand old days of New York City fine dining, they have picked the right neighborhood. The location at 425 Park Avenue is just a few blocks away from old-school favorites La Grenouille, Le Cirque, and the aforementioned Four Seasons Restaurant, all of which are frequented by an intensely devoted and well-heeled cast of Upper East Side regulars.