Bringing a bit of Brazil to New York City
Walking into the dimly lit Fasano Restaurant off of Park Avenue is a bit like walking back in time. Bossa nova is softly playing in the background, black and white photographs of the Fasano family line the walls between the Osteria and the main Dining Room, and well-dressed patrons sip classic dry martinis at the bar.
Photography by Eric Medsker
Helmed by Italian-born and Brazilian-raised restaurateur Rogério “Gero” Fasano, the recently opened restaurant opened its Park Avenue doors exactly 120 years since Gero’s great- grandfather, Vittorio Fasano, opened his first restaurant in Saō Paulo in 1902. From his simplest to his most sophisticated restaurant, Gero’s touch is behind them all. His unique taste has informed the architecture, the service, the meticulous eye for detail, and of course the menu.
Photography by Eric Medsker
The much-anticipated opening has been a long time coming, 30 years to be exact. Gero was on the verge of taking over the former Le Cirque space on East 65th street in 1995, but famed French Chef Daniel Boulud took over instead. The former Four Seasons Restaurant has now been brought to life again by Fasano. As fate would have it, Brazilian architect and long-time collaborator Isay Weinfeld designed the original interiors (along with Chef Boulud’s new La Pavillon restaurant).
Photography by Eric Medsker
Weinfeld created an atmosphere that is sophisticated, warm, and welcoming by utilizing neutral tones and natural materials, many of which are sourced from Brazil. The entrance hall is covered entirely in Brazilian Radica stone, composed of quartz and iron. In the Osteria, adjacent to the entry hall, coverings such as wood, limestone, and bronze mirrors, are combined with a soft light that enters through the frame behind the bar, creating an intimate atmosphere. Continuous benches installed in mirrored niches and embedded in the side walls serve the tables, which also have chairs signed by Edward Wormley in an exclusive reprint. In keeping with Gero’s belief “that restaurants are better off without columns so that diners can see each other” descending the spacious main dining room allows for a full view of the spacious main dining room, as well as the fashionable guests. Visit the famous restrooms on your way out to admire the floor-to-ceiling pink marble.
Photography by Eric Medsker
Chef Nicola Fedeli offers a menu comprised of northern Italian classics, in keeping with the Fasano family’s Milanese heritage, complemented by a robust global wine list. Highlights include the Vitello Tonnato, Ossobuco Alla Menighina con Risotto Alla Milanese, Tortelli di Vitello con Fonduta di Parmigiano Reggiano, and the Veal Milanese, which covers the entire plate. Don’t skip the Torta Della Nonna for dessert, a classic Italian custard tart made with crema pasticcera, topped with pine nuts.
Photography by Eric Medsker
Baretto, Fasano’s famous live music bar, is set to open in the second-floor private dining room in the fall with nightly bossa nova and jazz performances.
Fasano Restaurant comes after the success of Fasano Fifth Avenue, which opened in 2021 as the first North American outpost of the South American hospitality group. The hotel and members club was designed by the internationally acclaimed French architect and designer Thierry Despont with luxurious features including cashmere-lined walls. The Fasano group has properties across Brazil, Uruguay, and now New York City with its sight set on Miami next…
Photography by Eric Medsker