Love is in the air (and the design) in these GRAY-selected bars and restaurants. Located around the globe, where the decor ranges from a little cheeky to sophisticated chic, and garden-inspired to plenty of pink with the just-right amount of kitsch, these enviable eateries are the perfect spots to get you in the Valentine’s Day mood.
By Claire Butwinick and Lauren Mang
Photo by Don Riddle
Night Bar at Four Seasons Montreal, Montreal
GRAY’s October/November 2019 issue revealed a peek at the gorgeous, newly opened Four Seasons Montreal, whose design was inspired by the city’s lively and cosmopolitan atmosphere. The hotel’s third floor boasts a Social Square, a zone Montreal-based interior design firm Atelier Zébulon Perron created to get the conversation flowing among guests. The convivial spaces—linked with a winding marble bar—include Day Bar, Night Bar, MARCUS restaurant (named after its celeb chef Marcus Samuelsson), and a terrace. But it’s the soft, muted interiors of the Night Bar, featuring tones of gray, pink, and cream, that lend the luxurious and intimate vibe sure to jumpstart any date night.
Courtesy Provenance Hotels
Abigail Hall at The Woodlark Hotel, Portland
Inside Portland’s 150-room Woodlark Hotel, which Provenance Hotels opened in December 2019, is the ornate and flowery cocktail spot, Abigail Hall. A refreshing departure from the scads of sparse and overly modern options out there, this one offers just the right amount of cool kitsch that feels as if you’re sitting down in your chicest grandmother’s parlour for a glass of brandy. Hues of pink, red, and mint-green abound, and the fireplace keeps things extra cozy.
Photo by Aaron Leitz
Canlis, Seattle
Famed for its sophisticated menu helmed by Chef Brady Williams and precarious hillside location overlooking Seattle’s Lake Union, the Queen Anne neighborhood eatery satisfies more senses than one. Opened by Peter Canlis in 1950, the restaurant was designed by the then undiscovered Pacific Northwest architect Ronald Terry, who added residential touches to match the restaurant’s homelike exterior, and included artwork by legendary Northwest artists like George Tsutakawa. Now in its 70th year, Canlis’s legacy of exquisite cuisine and midcentury design guarantee a romantically unparalleled dining experience.
Le Jardinier | Photo by Adrien Dirand Photography
Le Jardinier, New York
New York’s Le Jardinier is a greenhouse smack in the middle of Manhattan. Designed by French architect and interior designer Joseph Dirand, the flourishing eatery balances its industrial, monolithic marble walls, tables, and floors with soft grass-green chairs and lush flora and fauna. Serving a vegetable-forward menu by Michelin-starred chef Alain Verzeroli, Le Jardinier merges nature with cosmopolitan dining for an out-of-the-box romantic getaway in the heart of the city.
Photo by Dylan and Jeni
Onda, Los Angeles
Inspired by the homelands of Onda’s chefs Jessica Koslow and Gabriela Cámara, the Kelly Wearstler-designed eatery takes design notes from Los Angeles and Mexico. Situated below Wearstler’s Santa Monica Proper Hotel, Onda is decorated with warm wood chairs, an open kitchen, and ceramic terracotta tiles from Mexico, reflecting its refreshing Mexican-American menu. It’s a dining experience that’s sure to woo you, and your date.