Le Jardinier Restaurant by Joseph Dirand Opens in New York

For his first New York commission, Parisian architect Joseph Dirand has completed Le Jardinier, a bright, vegetable-centric restaurant in Midtown East. With Downtown Manhattan reaping most of the buzzed-about openings these days, Le Jardinier is poised to make its mark on this more corporate neighbourhood.

Set on the ground floor of a new Norman Foster luxury residential tower, the restaurant was originally going to be helmed by legendary chef Joel Robuchon, though after his death last year the baton was passed to Alain Verzeroli, who worked with Robuchon for over 18 years.

Dirand reflects the 62-seat restaurant’s focus on fresh, healthy food throughout his timeless design. The interior is filled with natural light courtesy of floor-to-ceiling windows, intended to be a reprieve from the urban surrounds and evoking a lush indoor garden in contrast to the contemporary glass building.

See more projects by Joseph Dirand on Yellowtrace.

Matching the vegetable-driven menu, green is a definite theme, with opulent green marble walls and floors, and velvet upholstery. Indoor plants adorn the space, peering through white vertical louvres that line the windows. A panel of mirrored louvres acts a shimmery focal point behind a green marble bench for diners waiting to be seated. Interior elements are one of a kind and custom made by French artisans based in New York City.

On the second floor, Shun is due to open this month, a contemporary French restaurant with Japanese influence also designed by Dirand. A monumental green marble staircase leads guests from Le Jardinier to Shun and Bar Shun, with double-height ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the city.