La Tête d'Or at One Madison by Rockwell Group
At the base of the elegant One Madison tower, just steps from Madison Square Park, La Tête d’Or by Rockwell Group channels the drama and finesse of a classic French steakhouse.
Conceived in collaboration with Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud, this richly layered interior merges the hospitality traditions of Lyon with the bold energy of New York City.
Rockwell Group is an interdisciplinary architecture and interiors studio based in New York, known for weaving narrative, materiality, and movement into its work. Led by founder David Rockwell, the practice draws on a deep knowledge of theatre, culinary culture, and urban life to create expressive, transportive spaces across the globe—from restaurants and hotels to public institutions and stage sets.
At La Tête d’Or, this theatrical sensibility is palpable. The restaurant is composed as a sequence of spatial chapters—five distinct dining rooms, each offering a new layer of mood and detail. Materiality is the narrative thread. From the moment guests enter the wood-framed vestibule, where deep red walls and amber glass fittings soften the transition from city to restaurant, Rockwell Group sets a tone of warmth, tactility and ease. Flooring in two-toned Italian stone paves the way into the hosted lobby, where a low ceiling and curved red panelled wall create an atmosphere of intimacy and anticipation.
Framed views guide guests through the interiors: a glimpse of the bar from the entrance corridor, a bronze-trimmed wine display beside mirrored walls, or a measured repetition of forms around the chef’s open kitchen. Leather-wrapped wall panels, high-gloss ceilings, and bronzed detailing lend a quiet grandeur to each setting. In the bar, a mirror-clad column and copper tile accents play against inky blue trim and velvet lounge chairs—offering a moment of lush reprieve from the city beyond.
The main dining room is a study in contrast—symmetrical and soaring, yet grounded by walnut plank flooring, silk-upholstered wall panels, and touches of Art Deco influence that nod to the heritage of the surrounding architecture. At its heart, a dramatic sculptural hood above the open kitchen draws the eye. Designed by Belgian artist Jesse Willems and fabricated by De Castelli in a patchwork of five metals, it echoes the ornamental language of Rockefeller Center, abstracted into form.
Elsewhere, smaller rooms create quieter, more tactile experiences. Behind sliding doors inset with textured glass, the ‘North Dining’ spaces offer layered intimacy—whether around a king’s table aligned with the chef’s grill or a curved stone counter that accommodates tableside service. Throughout, the palette remains rich and tactile: dark marble, bronzed mirrors, lacquered blue finishes, leather, and velvet working in unison.
A dedicated private dining wing continues the experience. Flanked by hand-painted murals and layered in silk-like wallcoverings, this pre-function space opens to a secluded room with filtered views of the MetLife building. Every detail has been calibrated to elevate the social rituals of dining—warm lighting, sculptural carpets, ambient reflection, and a thoughtfully paced spatial arrangement.
While the restaurant occupies the tower’s ground floor, Rockwell Group’s work continues skyward with Le Jardin sur Madison, a rooftop terrace and event space on the 28th floor. Overlooking the skyline with an indoor-outdoor atmosphere, it extends Boulud’s culinary vision to new heights.
In true Rockwell fashion, La Tête d’Or is more than a restaurant—it is a fully composed dining experience, where tactility, light, and scale are carefully attuned to the cadence of hospitality. Anchored in French tradition but thoroughly of New York, it is a place of theatre and craft, openness and elegance.
