The New Nomad

NoMad, a 5-star Parisian-inspired hotel, opened its doors officially over a month ago. Although it's presence still lies fairly under the radar, it's definitely bound to be the cool spot in town. The interior is designed by the very famous Jacques Garcia, who is most recognized for his work on Hotel Costes in Paris. It feels like a more masculine grown up version of the Ace Hotel. The restaurant and bar is beautiful and they have a very cozy library in the back which is perfect for post-work drinks and meetings. The library is one of my favourite places in the city right now. The cocktails and bar snacks are fantastic.

The restaurant is probably the most important part of this new hotel project. Daniel Humm, the chef of Eleven Madison Park has decided to head up the restaurant at the NoMad. He is offering a less fussy and less expensive version of his food from Eleven Madison. The menu is solid and has a nice variety of snacks, appetizers and mains. We spoke to Daniel himself at our dinner there this week and he recommended a few new things I hadn't tried yet. All fantastic. Among those were the Fruits de Mer sampler and surprisingly the whole chicken for two.

I was lucky to have the opportunity to visit the restaurant before it opened for their friends and family soft opening. There we had the chance to sample most of the menu and even stay a night in the rooms. It was great and the overall experience was very good. The rooms also follow Garcia's aesthetic, masculine, dark and sexy, which nice touches like a beautiful claw foot tub that spills into the middle of the room. It's hot.

Back to the food, everything is simple but with a twist. Humm plays with flavours and textures. It's always a surprise which is fun when its carefully controlled. Overall I have been happy with my meals there. The portions are a little bit confusing, some very small and some rather large. Especially with the desserts, it's easy to get carried away and order too many. I'm not huge on sweets so I often just want a taste and feel overwhelmed when they are too large. They have a very lovely and well informed sommelier on staff who set us up with excellent wine.

The NoMad Hotel
1170 Broadway (nr 28th)
New York, NY