Sotheby’s is now serving up French classics, like côte de boeuf and duck confit, alongside blue-chip collectibles in New York. 

The auction house has opened a new restaurant in partnership with New York-based design studio Roman and Williams inside the Breuer Building—the brutalist icon that was once home to the Whitney Museum, but now serves as Sotheby’s global headquarters. Named after the building’s architect, Marcel Breuer, naturally, Marcel is decorated with a rotating selection of artworks, sculptures, and other luxury objects, meaning diners can feast on culture as well as Gallic cuisine. 

“The opening of Marcel marks another milestone in what has become a defining chapter for Sotheby’s in New York since our move to the Breuer last year,” CEO Charles F. Stewart said in a statement. “The restaurant adds a new dimension to the Sotheby’s experience, where our clients and friends can enjoy our exhibitions and an exceptional meal in a beautiful setting.”

Situated on the lower level of the Madison Avenue landmark, Marcel is full of juxtapositions, with rich walnut-paneled walls and cozy mohair banquettes contrasting the stark original concrete and sharp geometric architecture. Custom bronze and glass lighting fixtures by Roman and Williams are set against vintage lighting designed by Breuer, elegantly blending the old with the new. 

The dining room is currently decorated with works by Andy Warhol, Joan Mitchell, Alexander Calder, François-Xavier Lalanne, and Claude Lalanne, but the walls will be constantly updated with new art. The space is also adorned with vitrines showcasing jewelry by David Webb, Boucheron, and René Boivin, as well as other rarities, like an asteroid fragment and a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth. Some pieces are from upcoming auctions or private sales, while others are on special loan.  

In the open kitchen, chef-partner Marie-Aude Rose reflects her Parisian heritage in dishes such as cod gratin, tartine with French ham and comté, grilled salmon, and lobster with roasted pineapple and turmeric-ginger cream. Rose, who also oversees the menu at Romand and William’s first restaurant, La Mercerie, in Soho, describes her approach as “a marriage of tradition and temptation.”

Nearby, the elegant bar recalls the glitz and glamor of the Upper East Side in the 1960s, with handcrafted Japanese glassware, top-shelf spirits, and a huge Champagne bowl on show. The restaurant’s wine program, curated in partnership with Sotheby’s Wine, will offer unprecedented access to special, older vintages and dynamic new releases from both renowned estates and rising-star producers, according to the auction house. 

Outside, the original sculpture garden has been transformed into an alfresco dining area with another bar. Food and drinks can be enjoyed among verdant trees and sculptures. 

Last but certainly not least, the adjoining all-day bakery and café, La Mercerie Patisserie, offers madeleines, flans, tarts, and other tasty treats. You can eat in or take away your pastries in a ribbon-bound box.

This is actually not the only restaurant Sotheby’s has. The auction house also operates an all-day eatery at the New Bond Street galleries in London, though Marcel

Marcel is currently open for dinner, with full breakfast and lunch services scheduled to launch in the coming months.

Click here to see more photos of Marcel.