17 W. 26th Street
New York, NY 10010
646.490.8240
FLOWER POWER
Il Fiorista, New York City’s home of the new floral movement, is now open in NoMad. Italian for “The Florist,” the restaurant, floral boutique, and community education space celebrates the many benefits of flowers and herbs with a deep commitment to sustainability. Il Fiorista is the first project by Italian couple Alessandra and Mario De Benedetti.
EDIBLE BLOOMS
At Il Fiorista, executive chef Garrison Price (Cafe Clover, Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, Asiate) serves a seasonal menu rooted in Mediterranean flavors, highlighting flowers and herbs in their many edible forms with dishes including a Fluke Crudo cured with fermented and salted chrysanthemum leaves and flowers, with fennel pollen, early harvest citrus and colatura; Sweet Corn Tart with ricotta, buckwheat, husk cherries and basil seeds; Seeded Crackers with sunflower dip, petals and shoots; and Grass-fed Beef Striploin with flowering marjoram, green chile and sweet potato leaves. Expert mixologist Gates Otsuji (701West, The Standard) crafts a floral-forward drink menu, with signature cocktails including the Drunken Sunflower made with Rye whiskey, toasted sunflower, popcorn shoots and turmeric, and the Sparkle, featuring tequila, flowering coriander, sesame, lime and acacia honey. A balanced wine list of nearly 200 bottles from producers large and small, curated by owner Mario De Benedetti, features Italian, French and American wines, with a focus on quality producers - with whom Alessandra and Mario have developed personal relationships - whose focus is on craft and care for what goes into the soil and each bottle.
NATURAL BEAUTY
Designed by award-winning architect Elizabeth Roberts, the bright, 85-seat space is framed by artist Leanne Shapton’s energetic, modern murals. Guests enter Il Fiorista through the floral boutique, featuring a roundtable of colorful flowers and floor-to-ceiling cedar shelving displaying small home and kitchen goods and wellness items for sale, all curated by Alessandra. Il Fiorista offers full floral-arranging services, with hand-picked selections sourced from local farms by floral director Mindy Cardozo. In the dining room, guests find custom furnishings by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, including oak chairs with natural rope backing and woven fabric seats, alongside tables made of ash wood from Pennsylvania. A 30-foot marble bar sits opposite the dining room, decorated with large floral arrangements and antique brass pendants.
FLOWERS 101
A variety of educational classes — from DIY bouquet-making to edible flowers 101 — are available to guests beginning in October in The Flower Room, which is also available for private events. With sustainability and social responsibility at the core of its mission, Il Fiorista sources food, flowers and herbs both locally and regionally; employs water-use reduction and composting methods to reduce its environmental impact; and uses recyclable and compostable packaging wherever possible.
HOURS
Il Fiorista is now open for dinner, with breakfast, lunch and take away offerings coming soon.
Monday - Sunday, 5pm - 11pm.
Reservations available via Resy.
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