New York's Most Sought-After New Restaurant is Inside Sotheby's HQ

Marcel opened inside Sotheby’s new headquarters in the Breuer Building on Madison Avenue. The 1966 Brutalist structure previously housed the Whitney Museum for 50 years and later served as an outpost for The Met and temporary storage for the Frick Collection. Roman and Williams reinvigorated the building while preserving its original fabric. The restaurant occupies the lower ground floor beneath a sprawling lobby, contrasting harsh concrete and double-height windows with pink floral displays and white pressed linens. The space includes signature tableware and interiors featuring Bauhaus-inspired seating, Art Deco-style lighting, and Japanese-leaning glassware. Dining centers on an open kitchen, with private dining for 25, a mirrored bronze-lit bar, and a 70-seat outdoor area in the former sculpture garden. Art from Sotheby’s influence appears on the concrete walls through paintings and sculptures, including works by Roy Lichtenstein.

"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."

"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"

Read at Elite Traveler