Modern Restaurant Design : Tartinery Nolita by Michel Abboud

As warming and inviting as the west coast may have been, moments like these make a person realize how lucky you are to be in New York - and therefore thankful for my own personal return.  Now as you stroll down Mulberry Street on these newly chilly evenings, you may take notice to the modern French bistro, Tartinery.  Glass panes of varying widths are interspersed between metal columns dressed in black satin pain to form the signature storefront.  Owned by Nicolas Dutko, this newly opened hot spot focuses on the basics and more importantly, Poilane country bread. 

Designed by SOMA Architects’ Michel Abboud, a Lebanese-born architect who splits his time between New York and Beirut, also focused on the basics in the restaurant’s design.  The industrial sleek simplicity stands strong as gorgeous Edison bulbs suspend off the antique tin ceiling.  The entire menu is chalk written on the wall above the concrete bar, which was poured on-site and provides a more casual upper level.  The decor is a tactful blend of New York classics and European soul.  Exposed brick can be seen from the double-height main dining room, and the windowless downstairs area is warmed by a Ficus tree growing from a center table.  Raw and reclaimed materials from a Tribeca building contribute to the retro- contemporary feel.  And in both food and design, this Nolita space seeks “to capture the best of the past and merge it with the best of the modern.”