One of the Big Apple’s most iconic destinations gets an equally iconic eatery.

Rockefeller Center is undergoing something of a renaissance. Through careful curation and equal parts ambition and imagination, this landmark office complex–cum–tourist destination has become a surprising go-to for some of New York City’s best shopping and dining, appealing to New Yorkers and visitors alike.

Anchoring that effort is Le Rock, the latest venture from Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, the two chefs behind the perpetually cool TriBeCa spot Frenchette. Working with the design firm Workstead, Hanson and Nasr have created a modern-day eatery that pays homage to Paris’s best brasseries and its Art Deco environs.

Visitors are greeted by a grand carved-limestone relief entitled The Story of Mankind on the facade of the International Building, in which Le Rock resides. Once through the revolving door, you are swept into a soaring bar area with decorative details that immediately set the tone. From the cast-bronze bar made to look like an oyster shell to the rhythmic glass screen that separates the bar from the kitchen, from the terrazzo floor inspired by the jewel-toned facade to the custom tables and barstools, the dialogue between Deco details and the classic French style is immediately evident.

That interplay is a thoughtful and delicate balance; so too is the mood Hanson and Nasr aim to set. Most midtown restaurants, especially those catering to the business community, revolve around the idea of the “power table.” But the chefs and the team at Workstead wanted something entirely more egalitarian.

“The room is very democratic,” Nasr says. “There is no such thing as the ‘best table,’ as every seat is a good seat. No power booths. Just sitting alongside your fellow New Yorker. It’s about the energy that is created when guests get close and mingle.”

Hanson adds: “We wanted Le Rock to feel casual but still grand, like some of the best dining rooms in Europe…we wanted a bustle.”

Like at most French brasseries, the dining room is grounded with a dark wainscoting. In this case, instead of wood, it’s a lustrous chocolate lacquer that appears to grow out of the rich terrazzo flooring in a similar hue. Burled mahogany-and-leather banquettes installed around the perimeter add to the room’s warm embrace. The room’s height is accentuated by crisp white hand-plastered walls, sculptural verdigris-and-linen chandeliers, and monumental mirrors that echo the large windows, which let in light—and life—from the plaza outside. The only ornamentation on the walls are custom brass sconces and the occasional service shelf that shares the same patinated finish as the light fixtures.

“We wanted to live up to the beauty and attention to detail that is so palpable throughout the historic space,” says Workstead partner Ryan Mahoney. “We wanted to create a warm refuge for long, lingering meals where time stands still in the atmosphere.”

“The team is weaving their creativity and talent with the center’s unmatched New York City soul to yield a new classic that is sure to be a favorite of generations of New Yorkers,” adds E.B. Kelly, managing director of Rockefeller Center. With a menu of fresh takes on classics like dressed crab, leeks vinaigrette, escargots, roast chicken, and profiteroles—and one of the most glamorous dining rooms in town—she could not be more correct. Le Rock is the definition of New York chic.

Contributing Editor William Li is the Emmy-nominated co-host of Lucky Chow, a series about Asian food and culture on PBS, and the cofounder of The Hao Life.

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