Giorgio Armani, 90, is opening a new restaurant on Madison Avenue that celebrates good food
Because Giorgio Armanistyle beyond fashion. It is just one expression, and food is another. Just two decades after launching his fashion label in Milan in 1975, Armani opened his first restaurant in Paris, the gateway to a hedonistic empire that now serves considered Italian cuisine. thoroughly in glittering cities like Dubai, Milan and Tokyo. This fall, Armani/Ristorante will open its doors on Madison Avenue between East 65th and 66th Streets, where it will continue to prove that, as the fashion designer once said, “the only limit is good taste.” .
Steps from Central Park, the restaurant’s contemporary space exudes the decadence of a bygone era. A champagne bar greets visitors at the entrance, giving way to marble floors and mirrors on the walls.
Just as Armani saw no point in creating impractical clothes, each restaurant sought to adapt its cuisine to the locale. Executive chef Antonio D’Angelo previously served as Armani’s personal chef before becoming corporate executive chef of Armani restaurants in 2020. He hopes to capture the essence of the stately Upper East Side neighborhood through his offerings The seasonal offerings will help differentiate the restaurant from Armani’s former Fifth Avenue location, a chic Midtown location that opened in 2009 above the Armani store. The relocation and redesign at Madison Avenue will showcase sophistication while remaining true to the simplicity that is the hallmark of the Armani name.
Among the eight signature dishes featured on select Armani menus globally, you’ll find Pappa al Pomodoro, a bread and ripe tomato soup inspired by a traditional Tuscan dish with humble beginnings. modest, enhanced by the addition of buffalo mozzarella for a humble and familiar meal. There’s also a delicious Parmigiano Reggiano risotto, served with a saffron sauce (and decorated with the Giorgio Armani logo in fine saffron powder), which brings a sophisticated twist to the classic Milanese dish. An exclusive New York dish is ravioli with Neapolitan short rib ragù.
“Respecting the ingredients is an important part,” says D’Angelo, who was born in Campania. “It’s authentic, it’s pure—it’s very Armani…you’ll never not notice what ingredient is on your plate.”
D’Angelo said he enjoys wandering the city, studying its surroundings and residents for inspiration, essentially creating a local story for a restaurant. He compares the new location not to the previous Fifth Avenue restaurant but to Tokyo, which has a similar fine dining philosophy. “The texture of the dish is where you find the essence of Armani—“clean, pure, delicious in the moment,” says D’Angelo.
Armani, who at 90 years old is dedicated to his elegant vision, said: “While our cooking may be elaborate and artfully presented…the dishes Mine always honors the inherent beauty of the ingredients.”
