French restaurateur Claude Louzon and his daughter, Julie — in collaboration with famously idiosyncratic architect Philippe Starck — will finally be unveiling their NYC version of Parisian health-focused restaurant Le Paradis du Fruit in July. They recently unfurled a huge, nude painting ad on the bilevel space at 47 Prince St. for the restaurant, Miss Paradis. The poster, which spans the entire building, declares that the new project is "A Food Love Affair." The Louzons and Starck worked closely together for Parisian restaurants, but this is their first collaboration in New York — and one that the Louzons been working on since at least 2011.
Like the Louzon's French restaurants, Miss Paradis will be seasonal, vegetable, and health-focused, with Mediterranean-influenced dishes from Nobu Tel Aviv alum chef Adir Cohen. In addition to veggie and fish dishes, Miss Paradis will offer an expansive dessert menu with both tasting portions of decadent options and bigger servings of fruit-based ones. It follows "the French style of eating, where life is about pleasure and balance and not restrictions," according to a statement from the restaurant. Finally, despite advertising cocktails at the restaurant, it will only be offering beer and wine-based drinks due to its proximity to a church. Any cocktails will be made with rose, sake, or non-alcoholic beverages.
The Louzons, who own the restaurant, started filing work permits for the building about five years ago. It's a lot with a colorful history. Shake Shack previously expressed interest in building there, but Danny Meyer ultimately dropped the plan after neighbors balked at the potential for tourists and noise. Before that, it was a parking lot for locals and even an umbrella graveyard.
Starck — who's known for his outrageous and playful interior design — designed the Miss Paradis space, which was built from the ground up. It will have two levels, about 116 seats, a wrap-around bar, a communal table, and design points like pillars that look like trees. The restaurant is still undergoing construction and is expected to be finished in the next couple months. Check out a rendering of the interior below, and stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.