Each new restaurant opening in New York comes with great potential: for a delicious meal out, yes, but also the opportunity of a new party venue. While fashion loves the next new thing, there’s something to be said for the tried-and-true favorites. Here’s a look at some of the places everyone was talking about this year. Cue up Resy — or if that fails you, your most beloved PR contacts.
Coqodaq
Coqodaq, the high-end fried chicken restaurant from the Cote team, has been a hard table to book since it opened in January. The fashion crowd has been drawn to the high-low appeal: fried food paired with Champagne in an upscale chic environment in Flatiron. Mytheresa and Victoria Beckham recently picked the restaurant to host a dinner in celebration of their ongoing brand collaboration, and Andrew Kwon chose Coqodaq as the venue for the debut of his ninth collection.
Rockwell Group designed the restaurant’s dining room, including the “ghost arch” that extends over the room’s lineup of plush banquettes. “We wanted to create the cathedral of fried chicken,” says Coqodaq owner Simon Kim, adding that the idea was to synergize the coziness of fried chicken with the slickness of a high-end restaurant. “The hospitality and the quality of the ingredients is world class, but ultimately what you’re eating is fried chicken,” Kim adds. “We really tried to make it elegant enough, but also very comfortable and dark and vibey enough so that it can have the best of both worlds.”
Le Veau d’Or
Le Veau d’Or, which debuted in 1937 on East 60th Street and is New York’s oldest operating French bistro, has been revived by Frenchette and Le Rock alums Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr (brother of Harper’s Bazaar editor Samira Nasr). The restaurant has been owned by just three families in its 87-year history and was beloved by the likes of Orson Welles, Grace Kelly, James Beard, Jacqueline Onassis and Marlene Dietrich. Now, it’s beloved anew by the fashion set. The “It” restaurant has become a popular party venue choice since it debuted in fall 2024, hosting events for Roger Vivier’s new store opening and a celebration for Harper Bazaar’s 2024 Icons issue cover star Naomi Campbell. For those just looking to dine at Le Veau d’Or, the menu features dishes like pommes soufflés caviar rouge à la crème, pâté en croute, duck magret with cherry sauce and a daily fricassé poulet avec vin jaune.
Chez Margaux
Chez Margaux hasn’t only been a hit with the downtown crowd since opening earlier this fall: Taylor Swift is also a fan. The pop star has been spotted dining at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s exclusive members club several times with various friends, cementing Chez Margaux’s standing as the place to be seen. Recent parties at the Meatpacking social club include a Frame x Carolina Herrera celebration, and a holiday party hosted by Bloomingdale’s x Ronny Kobo. If you haven’t already made your way through the doors, odds are good that you’ll have a reason to stop by at least once during fashion week.
Manuela
Art-forward restaurants are having a moment this year, and Manuela, from the Hauser & Wirth-founded Artfarm Hospitality team, is quickly becoming a favorite. Ahead of its opening this fall, the restaurant hosted a dinner in honor of Gucci’s “We Will Always Have London” campaign, setting the tone for dinners to come. Located on Wooster and Prince Streets in SoHo, the restaurant is the concept’s second location — it’s also in Los Angeles — with a dining room of art that reads like an immersive group show. The menu is new American and seasonal, with a focus on sustainability. Mika Rottenberg’s light installation, fashioned from recycled plastic mushroom lamps and vines that twist up from the floor and wind overhead the bar, is the room’s focal point — and a great conversation starter.
Jean’s
NoHo restaurant slash club Jean’s, located next door to the Public Theater, began hosting private events well before its public opening in fall 2023, but has really found its stride in 2024. Willy Chavarria and Byredo chose the bi-level space for their recent CFDA afterparty, where the designer celebrated his menswear of the year win alongside guests like Christian Siriano, Darren Criss and more. Jean’s has also already seen a hint of scandal — co-owner Ashwin Deshmukh was the subject of a New York Times financial exposé, but that has seemingly done little to detract from the restaurant’s continued popularity. The 110-seat restaurant includes a café, main dining room and downstairs cocktail lounge, anchored by a farm-to-table menu sourced from co-owner Max Chodorow’s family farm in Pennsylvania.
