Inside a New York City Restaurant That Feels Like Milan
A little bit of Italy has landed in Lower Manhattan. The beloved Italian restaurant group Sant Ambroeus is expanding its empire, opening a two-story restaurant at Tribeca’s Brookfield Place, complete with an outdoor dining area that could lead any visitor to mistake Manhattan for Milan.
Designed by hospitality expert Robert McKinley, the bi-level eatery is flooded with warm light, floral motifs, and a palette of salmon and sherbet shades, lending a soft touch to the restaurant, which is surrounded by skyscrapers. On the lower level, a dining room set alongside a less formal café is the ideal place to sip a cappuccino or meet for a simple lunch.
“Our beautiful coffee bar offers a range of dolci and paninis as well as our coffee menu,” says general manager Carlo Fusco. (Town & Country, of course, recommends the Princess Cake.) For more formal affairs, the grand upstairs area—which can be configured to accommodate private dining—featuring custom-glass Murano chandeliers and mahogany accents awaits.
On the menu? Classic Italian dishes with an emphasis on Milanese cuisine. A section of the menu is dedicated to pasta, featuring signature dishes such as Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe and Fettuccine alla Bolognese. Paired with Sant Ambroeus’ staple appetizers, the menu includes a seasonal “Verdure” section handpicked from local farms. Fish options range from Sogliola di Dover, flown in from Normandy, to Branzino straight from the Mediterranean Sea.
Adapting to the pandemic, the restaurant has recently unveiled its outdoor seating area where you can savor culinary creations all day long. Luscious greenery and patio umbrellas create a tranquil and exclusive ambience, but the outside seating is beloved for more than that.
“The outdoor space is unique as it’s one of the only places with direct views of the World Trade Center,” says Fusco, reminding us that Italy might be fantastic, but New York City is also never without its charms.
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