After co-founding the Odeon, Keith McNally launched a string of popular restaurants: Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Schiller’s, Pastis, Morandi, Minetta Tavern, Cherche Midi, and so forth. His latest is Augustine, one of two restaurants—the other being Tom Colicchio’s Temple Court—inside the new Beekman hotel. A more feminine, Art Nouveau version of an upscale McNally bistro, Augustine is a triumph of ambiance: From the street and inside, it looks like the very definition of a sophisticated, lively restaurant. Taken on their own, the painted tile, rampant pastels, and floral sconces might come off as fusty, but with the help of extremely flattering lighting, they add up to a glamorous whole. While the roar of noise in the front room makes all conversations sound like arguments, it also adds to the feeling that Augustine is somewhere you should want to be. The food is pretty standard McNally French, with a few outliers, including a Waldorf salad and the on-trend spaghetti with sea urchin.

 

Recent mentions on Tribeca Citizen

4/21/22  Coming soon: Daniel Boulud’s reinvention of Augustine
2/17/22  Catching up with some bar/restaurant news
7/31/20  Augustine will close permanently due to the pandemic
12/04/18  In the News: The Dangers of West Street
9/03/18  New Tenant at the Bennett