All photos of Westmoreland, the new cafe at the Frick Collection, courtesy of William Jess Laird, unless otherwise noted.
Spending an afternoon at a museum is one of the most “New York” things you can do. And while MoMa, the Met and the Guggenheim are flocked to, the Frick Collection is a quieter Upper East Side gem. Now, the newly renovated museum housed in the 1914 residence of Henry Clay Frick serves up Rembrandt and El Greco masterpieces with a cocktail and a bite.
Westmoreland is the museum’s first café, and it opens Friday, June 6. The restaurant is exclusively for ticket-holders and only open during museum hours, Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (later on Fridays). The museum will be open Wednesday through Monday starting June 23. Same-day reservations can be made in person at the museum.
The chic, intimate café seats 50 and was designed by London and New York-based interior designer Bryan O’Sullivan Studio (BOSS). Its palette of deep greens and soft pastels is accented with red chairs and a bespoke mural by artist Darren Waterston depicting scenes of nature.
O’Sullivan has designed bars and restaurants in London, including The Painter’s Room inside Claridge’s hotel, The Red Room inside The Connaught hotel, and The Berkeley Bar & Terrace inside The Berkeley hotel.
Overlooking the 70th Street Garden, the cafe’s interiors were influenced by the museum’s three green spaces and historic finishes found throughout the building. There are custom walnut tables, a polished walnut bar, marble floors, and glass pendant lights.
“Westmoreland’s interior by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio resonates with the elegance of Selldorf Architects’ expansion, amplifying the museum’s atmosphere of timeless beauty and extending the Frick experience beyond our galleries,” Axel Rüger, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director, said in a press release.
Developed by Union Square Events, part of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, the Westmoreland’s menu offers elevated American fare, including pastries, soups, salads, toasts (avocado, mushroom, and feta), entrees (tagliatelle pomodoro, poached trout), and desserts, as well as a cheese plate.
Led by Executive Chef Skylla Hughes and Nickolas Martinez, the vice president of culinary operations at USE, the menu draws on local seasonal produce and ingredients favored by the Frick family.
A full mirrored bar anchors the space. Beverages include local coffee and teas, European and American wine, and cocktails, including spirit-free drinks.
“Westmoreland offers attentive table service to create an experience that feels both intimate and elevated,” Martinez said. “Our menu takes a one-course approach, with thoughtfully composed plates intended to stand alone. Every dish is rooted in seasonal ingredients, refined in presentation and deeply personal. We aim to offer a thoughtful pause during a visit to the museum.”
The café is named for the private Pullman railway car the Frick family used to travel between their homes and trips around the United States. Henry Clay Frick, born in Westmoreland County outside of Pittsburgh, made his money in the iron and steel industry.
“In May 1882, Frick entered into partnership with the Scottish-born steel manufacturer Andrew Carnegie,” The Frick Collection’s history details. When he moved to New York, he began working for J. P. Morgan — and he also began collecting art. Construction on his Fifth Avenue mansion, which is now the museum, began in 1913 and cost nearly $5,000,000.
This spring, it underwent a $220 million renovation that the New York Times called “poetic.”
“A corner of New York hasn’t seemed quite itself since the Frick Collection shuttered during Covid for the architectural equivalent of a full-body spa treatment,” the Times wrote.
The renovation opened new gallery spaces, opened the mansion’s second floor (where the café is located) to the public and created a dedicated space on the first floor for special exhibitions. Education and research programs were expanded and ADA accessibility was improved, among other projects.
“As we continue to celebrate the Frick’s grand reopening, we are thrilled to debut the museum’s first-ever café,” Rüger said. “The new amenity helps bring our institution into the 21st century, and it will provide our visitors and members with a respite to enjoy conversation about the collection over refined food and beverages.”
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