Meyer Davis‘ concept for a new restaurant in midtown Manhattan was to create a quintessentially modern, New York establishment that would sate the tastes of a sophisticated clientele and mirror the city’s intersection of commerce, art and culture. The Wayfarer is located in The Quin, a new boutique hotel on 57th Street. The name is short for quintessential, and the hotel strives to convey a quintessential New York vibe.
The Wayfarer restaurant design is a celebration of “old meets new” and exhibits a mix of the high points in design from the 1800’s to the 1970’s. A combination of grandeur and modern design in the main dining room creates an aesthetic of warm modern opulence; stylised graffiti complement a carefully curated art collection, paying homage to the fashion and pop art scene and social clubs of the past. A corner hall leading to the restrooms comes alive with a commissioned street-style mural by a local graffiti artist. Each restroom is fitted with subway tiles, curved mirrors, and brass hardware.
A series of interconnected lounge areas and intimate spaces are light-filled with the glass-wrapped rooms. A serpentine banquette in chocolate brown hugs the floor to ceiling windows, while rich leather, dark woods and mid-century chairs evoke a sense of luxury, with grey linen and modern lighting. Dining arrangements range from tufted upholstered banquettes, studded leather dining chairs, and the custom serpentine banquette. All tabletops are custom finished with limed, oak-finish wood tops.
The Wayfarer has a Calacatta Gold marble and unpolished brass main bar and a vintage theatre marquee ceiling. The mezzanine replicates the style of the main dining room, featuring a beautiful 20 foot pewter and glazed brick bar and intimate social area as well as three private dining rooms. The grand pewter bar is lined with textured, mid-century style bar stools and intimate bar-height dining banquettes. The bar boasts brass detailed shelving above a display of fresh seafood. Central stations are well stocked with found curiosities.
Hanging from the stairwell is a larger than life graphic fabric curtain with a collage of contemporary art floating in front. This tongue in cheek salon-style collection is mimicked in the main dining room and upstairs lounge, where the artwork goes from colourful bold choices to clubby black and white shots. Custom tufted dining chairs with velvet patterned backs and brass detailing are upstairs where seating wraps around the walls and bar, while a metal screen distances guests from the stairwell where a focal chandelier can be viewed.
A decorative pattern of light bulbs embellishes the ceiling, in the vintage theatre marquee design. Floating neon signage nests in the windows and retro, spiked chandeliers hang from a cork ceiling in the private dining room. Wine cases are illuminated, lining the hallway from the front to the back of the second floor. Large dining tables in the private dining room are broken up with residential style wingback chairs, an inviting couch, and custom designed credenzas, offering alternative configurations.
Both floors of The Wayfarer total over 4,400 square feet, and accommodate 290 guests. The restaurant features diverse artisanal American seafood and steak cuisine created by Executive Chef Braden Reardon and innovative custom craft cocktails created by award-winning mixologist Christian Sanders of Evelyn Drinkery.
Images © Meyer Davis
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Meyer Davis appeared first on Restaurant & Bar Design.