Giorgio Armani’s new restaurant, Armani Ristorante, is all about streamlined elegance. Chairs and booths come in a cool gray, whereas tables are covered in classic white cloth. (Look closely at the glassware, and you’ll see they boast a subtle branded logo.) There’s hardly any art. Instead, the visual appeal comes from floor-to-ceiling windows or mirrored walls interspersed with green lacquer beams. The diners are the decoration.
It’s a good bet: Located on Madison Avenue and 65th Street—where the urban power center of Midtown meets the genteel Upper East Side—Armani Ristorante sits at a nexus for people-watching both slick businessmen and pearl-wearing ladies who lunch.
Photo: Courtesy of Armani
There’s an element of decadence to the menu, which serves contemporary—even avant-garde—Italian cuisine. the signature appetizer is a Maine lobster with grapefruit and sabayon that cost $55. Meanwhile any pasta—including a guinea fowl bottoni—can have white truffle added upon request. Although if you want to know what the house recommends, executive chef Antonio D’Angelo tells Vogue he has a penchant for their Cannelloni di Genovese. “Genovese, a style of pasta that is meat-filled, is a particularly special dish for me for several reasons. The unique flavors of this dish and the emotional connection I have with the culinary tradition of Naples, where I come from,” he says.
As for dessert? Indulge in a lemon soufflé or a coffee mascarpone sponge cake. “Sometimes inspiration comes from a simple passion for cooking and the desire to experiment with new dishes,” D’Angelo adds.
