Photo credit: Michael Kleinberg

Acclaimed chef and restaurateur, Michael Mina enters New York City with the opening of Bourbon Steak New York, a reimagined modern take on the quintessential American steakhouse, inside the JW Marriott Essex House New York. Designed by award-winning global interior design firm AvroKO in collaboration with architectural firm Stonehill Taylor, and built by Shawmut Design and Construction, the 300-seat space is a nod to timeless American steakhouses that pays homage to the JW Marriott Essex House New York’s Art Deco influences, with the nearby Central Park as a muse and source of inspiration.

The restaurant consists of the Main Dining Room, including outdoor seating; The Lounge at Bourbon Steak, offering all-day dining; and two private dining rooms. Mixed metals and fire-kiln ceramic tiles throughout the space allude to the importance of fire and its role in creating the menu, with rich rust hues and a harmonious mix of patinated metals bringing a modern interpretation of the moody energy steakhouses are often associated with. Greenery is woven throughout the space for balance, with two trees under the vaulted ceiling in the main dining room and a series of planters conveying an indoor courtyard experience in the back of the restaurant, amplifying the skylight. 

The two private dining rooms, named Fulton and Chelsea in a nod to New York City’s original fish and meat markets, have their own vintage marble fireplace mantels from the 1930s. The rooms accommodate groups of up to 24 people and 12, respectively, or can be combined into one larger space to accommodate up to 40 seated guests. which also includes a private “speakeasy window” connected to the service bar area for direct service.

Shawmut also renovated the JW Marriott Essex House New York’s lobby, concierge, and executive lounges. The team has history in the hotel, building the previous restaurant back in 2007.