Longing for the days of restaurants with the charm of Manhattan old school? You know, the ones that cater to the wealthy socialites who finance them, and are staffed by some incredibly handsome men. Long no more, Casa Lever is that restaurant.
The setting is International, on the ground floor of Lever House, on Park Avenue. The dynamic designer duo Gherardo Guarducci and Dimitri Pauli took over the room where the former Lever House Restaurant stood and transformed it into a warmer environment with wood trim, chandeliers, little red tables up front, and soft carpets beneath the feet. Though the cashmere and silk rolls a-plenty, giving it its high-end edge, it still has an air of fun in a Housing Works frock.
The service is quite appealing, with the same spirit of serenity Sant Ambroeus had. And why wouldn’t it? Guarducci and Pauli are the brilliant minds behind Sant Ambroeus as well. The food rests on the back-to-basics theory that never fails to appease its restaurateurs. This is apparent in its ravioli with sausage and burrata dish, creamy with a slight bite. The carpaccio of beef with wild mushrooms is also, at the very least, flavorful and welcoming.
While the food at Casa Lever is not exactly ground breaking, it goes by the traditional Italian-style cuisine, with excellent ingredients served plain on plate, and without the crazy interpretation and imagination found at Marea or Del Posto. But who says that’s wrong?
Via: NY Times
