Michael White—the chef and restaurateur behind iconic Manhattan dining destinations like Marea, Ai Fiori, and Osteria Morini—has made his return to New York with the debut of Santi in the heart of Midtown.
Part of White’s BBianco Hospitality Group, Santi explores seasonal Italian cooking through the lens of the chef’s many years living in Italy and the South of France.
The lavishly appointed contemporary space, designed by Michaelis Boyd with lighting by L’Observatoire International, comprises five interconnected dining areas. The space is both a homecoming and new chapter for White, who once helmed the Michelin-starred Alto, which occupied the same space.
The design experience at Santi
Upon arrival, guests are greeted by a grand horseshoe bar with a dramatic yellow onyx backsplash. A small staircase leads down to the den, where intimate half-moon banquettes are encased in rich green onyx.
The den then flows into the courtyard, a striking double-height dining space with handpainted walls evoking dreamlike clouds. Sheer curtains drape from the ceiling, gently softening the space, while a custom handblown glass light pendant serves as the centerpiece of the space. A mezzanine floor affords diners views of the courtyard from above as well.
Storytelling through art
Art is central to the design of Santi. A portrait wall hugging the dramatic spiral staircase to the mezzanine level displays a haunting array of stately portraits.
Throughout the restaurant, certain pieces are accompanied by QR codes that tell the stories behind the work.
For instance, the Vagabond Mirror, is an ornate 11-foot mirror from the late 1800s that Bruce Bronster, White’s business partner and cofounder of BBianco, found buried in the backyard barn of a $100 million Southampton estate once owned by a German industrialist. The restoration process unearthed the mirror’s original coat of 14-karat gold leaf, and its winding history from the U.S. to France to Italy and then back home, which mirrored the travels of chef White himself.
Santi is the latest in a string of openings from BBianco, which include Paranza at the Atlantis, Paradise Island; Mirabella at the Fontainebleau, Miami Beach; and MIKA in Coral Gables, Florida.
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