Renowned for its French-influenced cuisine, impeccable service, and outstanding views of the MoMA’s sculpture garden, the restaurant boasts two Michelin stars among its many accolades.
The restaurant was designed by the architecture firm Bentel & Bentel, who created a look and feel in perfect harmony with the famous museum that houses it. With its Bauhaus aesthetic, The Modern’s contemporary elegance offers a welcome refuge from the bustle of NYC’s Midtown neighborhood. A three-quarter-high wall divides the space into a formal dining room and a livelier Bar Room. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the main room overlook the museum’s Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, allowing diners to admire works from Picasso, Matisse, and other greats while they eat. The décor in the Bar Room, on the other hand, is centered around an enormous photograph by German artist Thomas Demand showing 270,000 papered leaves.
Completing the mood, the excellent acoustics and business-casual dress code combine to create a relaxed and civilized atmosphere—not always a feature of museum eateries.
In short, at The Modern art lovers will admire the impressive surroundings, food lovers will savor the sophisticated menus, and a satisfying experience for all is guaranteed.
Despite his relative youth, Executive Chef Allan brings a wealth of experience to the role. Born in the UK and raised in Canada, he moved to New York to begin his culinary career when he was 19 years old. The year was 2007, and it marked both the start of his first job—in the kitchen at barbecue joint Blue Smoke—and the start of his studies at the French Culinary Institute. On graduating from the latter, he had the opportunity to work at two of the city’s three-Michelin-starred restaurants: Eleven Madison Park, under chefs Daniel Humm and Abram Bissell, and Per Se, with Jonathan Benno. It was during these early years that he took part in the renowned Bocuse d’Or competition, as commis to chef James Kent. Together, they won the US event in 2010, earning the right to participate in the worldwide final in France the following year, achieving a creditable 10th place, all while Allan was still just 23 years old. The following year, he moved to Paris to work at Le Meurice. Here, he was able to refine his expertise in Modern French cuisine under the mentorship of Yannick Alléno, widely recognized as a master. Returning to New York after this important experience, Allan helped Bryce Shuman open his acclaimed restaurant Betony, before returning once again to the Union Square Hospitality Group. This time, it was at The Modern, where he started as Chef de Cuisine in 2014 before being promoted to Executive Chef in 2020.
In addition to its two Michelin stars, The Modern has earned three stars from The New York Times, the Grand Award from Wine Spectator, and four James Beard Foundation Awards. These include recognitions for Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Wine Service, and Outstanding Restaurant Design.
