Haute Cuisine by the King of Haute Couture?

Despite the terrible state of the economy, Giorgio Armani recently opened a massive Fifth Avenue boutique, equipped with its own restaurant. Intriguing. Here's what Florence Fabricant of The New York Times had to say about it:

Giorgio Armani, who has a Nobu branch in his Milan store, is opening a restaurant and bar in his huge new Fifth Avenue store with his longtime friend Lorenzo Viani. Mr. Viani is the chef and owner of Ristorante Lorenzo, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the beach town of Forte dei Marmi on the Tuscan coast. Mr. Viani will be a consultant/chef at Armani/Ristorante 5th Avenue, which is expected to open this week on the top level of the three-floor location.

The decor, in the subdued Armani palette, is glossed with metal. The menu is modern Italian — sole on an eggplant puree, feuillettee of pecorino with pears, turkey with green tomato mustard, zucchini flan, gnocchi with chanterelles, baby veal in an almond crust, semi-freddi and panna cottas for dessert. They will only serve dinner at first, until 11 p.m., but later they’ll open for lunch too.

Sirio Maccioni had tried to do a restaurant in Paris with Mr. Viani and said he was having lunch with him on Monday. “I’m still trying to do something,” Mr. Maccioni said.

Well next time I actually decided to venture north of 23rd Street (minus the occasional visit to Shake Shack), I'll have to check that out.

Information:
Armani/Ristorante 5th Avenue
at Armani/Fifth Avenue
717 Fifth Avenue (56th Street)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 207-1902