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Starting June 6, New Yorkers can officially a add “Have a berry tart with elderflower crème at the Frick” to their summer bucket lists—the iconic Upper East Side institution is opening its first new restaurant in nine decades.
Named Westmoreland, this sleek new spot lives on the museum’s newly renovated second floor and is part of a broader effort to modernize the Frick experience without sacrificing an ounce of its old-world charm.
Named after the Frick family’s private Pullman railcar (yes, really), Westmoreland is steeped in Gilded Age elegance. The 50-seat café offers ticket-holding museumgoers and members a refined table-service menu by Union Square Events, served in a transportive space designed by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio. Think green mohair details, floral-motif paneling and dreamy murals inspired by Japanese screens and Renaissance landscapes, all with views of the Frick’s tranquil 70th Street Garden.
“As we continue to celebrate the Frick’s grand reopening, we are thrilled to debut the museum’s first-ever café,” said Axel Rüger, the museum’s director. “It will provide our visitors and members with a respite to enjoy conversation about the collection over refined food and beverages.”
The menu, led by Executive Chef Skyllar Hughes, fuses seasonal, regional fare with nods to the Frick family’s original menus. For breakfast-y bites, there’s a caramelized onion and thyme scone or kale-ricotta quiche. For lunch, you can go high-brow (poached trout with spring onion sabayon) or comforting (a club sandwich with herbed aioli and potato chips). Vegetarians will find gems like the mushroom and feta toast and a perfectly zippy Caesar with add-ons like grilled chicken or fish.
But the real showstoppers are the desserts and drinks. A strawberry tart with elderflower crème pâtissière makes for a floral finish, while the chocolate mousse duo (dark and white) leans lush and decadent. Beverage-wise, you can toast like a Gilded Age aristocrat with European wines and curated cocktails inspired by the museum’s Cocktails with a Curator series. The “Widow’s Kiss”—made with calvados, benedictine, yellow chartreuse and bitters—is bound to become an instant favorite, and it sounds just as dramatic as the Bellini across the hall.
Reservations are same-day and only available onsite, so plan accordingly. Whether you’re museum-hopping or just craving a quiet meal surrounded by good art and even better design, Westmoreland is your new UES secret weapon. Just don’t spill the soup near the Vermeer.
