This fantastic restaurant was launched in 2008 by Belgian Emmanuel Verstraeten (an experienced watch connoisseur and personal friend of the bosses of the top brands), who previously opened his first Rouge Tomate on Avenue Louise in Brussels. In New York, he has created the spirit of American nouvelle cuisine according to “SPE” (sanitas per escam – or in the Queen’s English, health through good food) nutritional norms.
With the touch of widely renowned chef, Jeremy Bearman (previously from Danial Bouloud and Joel Robuchon) and chief dessert chef, James Distefano, all located in a super chic area (on Sixtieth Street between Fifth Avenue and Central Park and Madison Avenue), Rouge Tomate features in the Michelin Guide. It stretches magnificently over two spacious floors, which house a large hall equipped with a lounge bar, a big dining room and a number of closed more intimate spaces as well as private rooms.
The whole look stands out with clean, stylised lines structured with glass walls and natural coloured wood. Its avant-garde furniture under high ceilings initially gives an impression of freshness and rest in a sometimes hectic Manhattan.
A confirmed gourmet inevitably brimming with charm and humour, Emmanuel Verstraeten sums up his ambitions: “combining the joy of eating with nutritional balance in an environment that encourages well-being.” He depends on an expert dietician and service that is both professional and courteous.
Last but not least, the restaurant’s wine cellar is amazing and possibly even larger and more varied than the restaurant itself. Naturally it includes a long list of French wines, including great vintages, but there is also a wide range from all wine-producing countries – Europe, the Middle East, South America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, not to mention Californian and even New York wines, to suit all budgets.
