When you want the best, you go to the experts. So who better to reinvent the very concept of the Food Hall than the experts in luxury at New York’s Plaza Hotel? Three years ago, The Plaza undertook an expansion of their food hall, with the goal of bringing stateside the luxurious European model found in locations such as Harrods. The results are stunning, and truly worthy of the Plaza we know and love.
The new Plaza Food Hall, which is located on the hotel’s Concourse Level, is a true gourmet foodie heaven, with a carefully-curated selection of free standing shops from New York’s best establishments. The space resembles the charming shopping arcades you find in Paris; each free-standing shop retains its own identity, yet is equally part of the hall’s overall harmony. Kristin Franzese, the Executive Vice President of Retail, explained that before building the shops, The Plaza’s team spent hours on-site at the locations of the establishments with which they had chosen to collaborate.
The Jeffrey Beers firm was tapped to accomplish the feat of incorporating each individual establishments’ aesthetic feel in the 40,000 square foot hall, while simultaneously building a cohesive look representative of The Plaza’s famed ambiance. For example, at the Luke’s Lobster shop, distressed metal panels and earthy, blue textured tiles on the shop’s back wall capture its homegrown Maine heritage. Meanwhile, the hall itself is a symphony of luxury, with columns of antique mirror adorned with hand‐blown sconces, elegant wall coverings, metallic and glass accents, oak millwork in hues of chocolate and espresso, stone countertops and custom-designed mosaic floor tiles. A 6 ft. by 15 ft. living green wall incorporated into the hall’s dining area, a nod to the nearby Central Park, completes this incredible space.
When we asked Franzese how they chose the establishments occupying the hall’s free-standing shops, she explained that the Plaza team had set out to acquire the best of everything; the best pizza, the best sushi, the best tea, the best chocolates, and so on and so forth. As a result, the hall is a veritable tour de force of the most delicious food New York has to offer. Although one cannot go wrong choosing from the wide selection of shops, we do have a few favorites! We highly recommend the lobster rolls from Luke’s Lobster, the Veggie Burger from No. 7 Sub, the spicy tuna from Sushi of Gari, the dark chocolates from FP Patisserie and the mini linzer tarts from William Greenberg.
Head to the Plaza Food Hall for a completely luxurious experience of New York’s most lauded culinary hotspots, all in one beautiful location. Cap off your gourmet trip to the hall with a stroll through the park or indulge in some shopping at Barney’s – we cannot imagine a more perfect day!
The Plaza Food Hall is located on the Concourse Level of the Plaza Hotel in New York. For more information, please visit the hotel’s website. Photos courtesy the Plaza. All photos copyright Paul Warchol.
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