Armani’s Italian Restaurant

Shopping and dining have long been synonymous with ladies who lunch. Ask anyone in love with New York shopping and rest assured they will tell you of the days of yore, when shopping with mom then taking in a little lunch at either Lexington and Fifth at Bloomingdale’s, or The Birdcage at Lord & Taylor was the Saturday afternoon tradition. The height of sophistication, this is where you went to see and be seen.

Flash forward to the new millennium and there are no longer white gloves or frilly dresses, but the shopping and the dining are still very much in full force. Today, the idea goes a step further in Giorgio Armani’s attempt at the whole restaurant/retail space shtick. Perched atop the flagship store in midtown and overlooking Fifth Avenue, the modern Italian restaurant attempts to give new meaning to shopping and dining. Armani/Ristorante Fifth Avenue seems to scream chic lounge and power lunch, rather than high society mingling.

Expect nothing more than glossy black and metal décor, a late dinner menu (open even after shopping hours end), and an excellent wine selection. Headed by Michelin-starred chef Lorenzo Viani the food gives competition to other upscale restaurant and does it at an even more affordable price. Reviewers loved their pasta dishes. Armani has set the tone for a chic power lunch or quick bite to refuel the shopping spree, however if trekking out to seek this almost hidden restaurant don’t expect everything to be peachy keen. According to reviews, the staff is a little on the cheeky side, which evidently results in an empty restaurant. For those brave enough to try, happy shopping and dining.

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