Now that the iconic French bistro Pastis has abandoned the Meatpacking District, New York’s style set needs a new place to dine and socialize, and The Monarch Room is well on its way to filling that gap. Located in a former 1930s warehouse, restaurateurs Lisle Richards and Eric Marx of The Metric opened The Monarch Room right on the border of the Meatpacking District and West Chelsea with what the website says is “a vibrant collision of uptown polish and downtown tenacity.”
Polish and tenacity certainly is the feeling you get in this handsome space, and that’s because Roman & Williams, the design duo behind New York hot spots the Ace Hotel and Boom Boom Room, designed it, adding leather banquettes and fusing it with concrete walls and ceilings, while illuminating the space with gold light fixtures.
The menu, conceptualized by chef Michael Citarella, uses fresh and local ingredients. When we dined there, we started out with a selection of oysters, chicken liver with prunes, sage, and grilled sourdough bread, and an amazing gem lettuce salad with cucumber, sugar snap peas, horseradish dressing. Next we enjoyed the dry-aged strip steak with charred scallions, potatoes, fermented chilies, and the spiced duck breast with braised leeks, sweet potatoes and hibiscus. The stars of the restaurant are the desserts, and we had the best Baked Alaska we’ve ever had, along with a heavenly chocolate cake with dark vintage chocolate, milk & honey sorbet and chocolate butter ganache.
Still not convinced? We ran into the funniest man on the planet, Fat Jew, while there. We’d say that alone is enough of a reason to visit this restaurant next time you’re in New York.
For more information, visit nymonarch.com.
