Michel Richard's Splashy French Restaurant Villard Michel Richard, Now Open

Villard Michel Richard
Phone: 212-891-8100
Address: 455 Madison Ave., Midtown
Web: www.villardmichelrichard.com
Status: Certified Open

Last night, renowned French chef Michel Richard opened his new brasserie Villard Michel Richard in the New York Palace Hotel. This 100-seat restaurant inhabits the landmarked space that was once home to Gilt, and Le Cirque 2000 before that. The dining room mostly sticks to its original style, with plenty of Baroque details like stained glass, chandeliers, balustrades, friezes, and a vaulted gold ceiling. But Zagat notes a few modern updates, like neon-lit portraits of 50s movie icons and a glass wine cellar. Perhaps the most notable update is a wall of holographic portraits behind the bar, which all alternate between an image of Michel Richard himself and a portrait of Henry Villard, the 19th century financier that the restaurant is named after.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a casual menu of French classics peppered with some contemporary American dishes. There is a burger with fries, a lobster burger with fries, roasted chicken, cod basquiase, and more. A smaller dining room called The Gallery will also open soon with a prix fixe menu. In the meantime, take a look at the full menus for the main operation below:
Previously: The Shutter, 10/16/12; Coming Attractions, 6/24/13; Fall Tracking, 7/26/13.
Further Reading: Washington Post, New York Times, Washingtonian, Zagat

Villard Bistro Room Breakfast

Villard Bistro Room Lunch

Villard Bistro Room Dinner

Villard Bistro Room Dessert