In warmer weather, the New York–based Remodelista editors are known frequenters of Grand Banks and Pilot, two schooners docked in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, respectively, that serve up freshly shucked oysters and much-needed river breezes in the summer months. So we were pleased to stumble upon Seaworthy: an all-season, on-land version in New Orleans, helmed by the team behind the New York outfits in collaboration with another of our favorites, the Ace Hotel. (See our Hotels & Lodging post for more on the Ace Hotel in NOLA.)
Housed in a three-story Creole cottage dating back to 1832 next to the Ace, and rehabbed by Brooklyn-based Home Studios and Atelier Ace (the hotel’s in-house team), the oyster bar and restaurant has plenty of old-world charm, with plaster walls, ever so slightly crooked windows, sloping ceilings, and a mantel with Southern Gothic appeal. Take a walk through.
Photography courtesy of Seaworthy.
Above: The small 1832 cottage, next to the Ace, with old-meets-new appeal: a neon green sign alongside slightly askew window fittings. The restaurant is the project, in part, of brothers Alex and Miles Pincus, the native New Orleanians and sailors behind Grand Banks, Pilot, and Island Oyster. Alex Pincus is an architect as well as a restauranteur, and called on his sailing trips with his brother along the Gulf Coast to infuse the interiors with seafaring appeal. Above: Inside, a long bar stretches along one wall, and plaster walls add a sense of the time-worn. “Seaworthy is a gumbo of materials from far-flung corners of the world—zinc and steel, tarnished silver, blue and white china, dark wood, marble, milk glass, Hungarian encaustic tile and brass,” according to the design brief. Ingredients from saffron to mint are delivered daily in wooden crates. Above: Seaworthy is “a place where roughneck sailors and gentlefolk alike gather to shuck oysters and sip spirits from lightly-tarnished silver,” the design team says. A high/low mix adds to the old-time feel: Behind the marble bar, darkly painted beadboard paneling. (For more on beadboard, see Remodeling 101: The Ultimate Wood Paneling Guide.) Above: Along the opposite wall, marble-topped tables and a handsome long settee that serves as a banquette. Above: The second floor has high ceilings and stately windows trimmed in blue that step out onto the balcony. The chairs are a mix of Thonet and spindle back. Above: A favorite design detail: An original mantel is topped with candlesticks that are left to spill over with wax. Above: The Southern Gothic-esque vignette, complete with dusty flowers and an old bottle. Above: The private dining room on the third floor has a wall of darkly-painted cabinets that hold liquor (note the imperfectly sloped ceiling) and sumptuous club chairs, giving the impression of a captain’s cabin. Above: In another room, mahogany leather banquettes and vintage photographs and paintings with a seafaring theme. Note the mix-and-match found ceramics at every place. (For similar vintage-style glass pendant lights, consult DIY Vintage-Looking Mercury Glass Pendant Lights for $25.) Above: Leather club chairs and plenty of candles. (For the ultimate handsome leather chair, see 10 Easy Pieces: Leather Club Armchairs.)
More restaurants and hotels that take cues from the high seas:
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