Acclaimed chef Charlie Palmer's takeover of The Knickerbocker hotel in Times Square is nearly complete. Late last week he debuted his lobby espresso bar Jake's @ The Knick and his full service restaurant, Charlie Palmer at the Knick. Walking into both spaces, there's no escaping the fact that one is dining in Midtown – it's a lot of expensive leather and marble, in rather severe shades of grey.
In Jake's, a barrel-vaulted ceiling and a gray palette give the space the look of an elegant subway station of a dystopian future. Upstairs on the fourth floor, where Palmer serves what he calls a "market-driven but not fussy" menu, things are lighter, though still muted and modern. There's a lounge for guests arriving and seating for 100 in the large and open dining room. Still, the long bar is made entirely from a dark marble and the windows are covered with "chainmail drapes," so it's not too light feeling.
Palmer's final project for the hotel, a swanky rooftop bar called St. Cloud is still in the works, but a representative tells Eater to expect an opening in May.
