The Leopard at Des Artistes

Should You Book The Leopard at Des Artistes?

Getting a table here takes real effort, and that is the first thing to know. The Leopard at Des Artistes, tucked inside the historic Hotel des Artistes at 1 W 67th St, draws a loyal crowd of Upper West Side regulars, pre-Lincoln Center diners, and visitors who have done their homework. It holds a Michelin Plate (2024) and a Google rating of 4.4 from 401 reviews, which puts it in a reliable but not rarefied tier. Book ahead, especially for weekend brunch, where the live jazz draws separately motivated guests who fill the room early.

The Space: Why It Matters Before the Food Does

The room is the first reason to come. Howard Chandler Christy's murals — the "Fantasy Scenes with Naked Beauties" series — cover the walls in a way that stops conversation mid-sentence. These are not decorative accents; they are full-scale figurative paintings by an artist who shaped American illustration in the early twentieth century. The dining areas are arranged in an oddly configured series of rooms that feel more like a private residence than a restaurant, and the restrooms are, by all accounts, genuinely striking. For a food and travel enthusiast who wants a room with real art-historical weight behind it, this is the operative selling point. The spatial experience is not easily replicated at any other Italian table in New York.

The Hotel des Artistes itself dates to 1917 and was designed as a cooperative for working artists, which means the building has genuine provenance rather than curated nostalgia. The Leopard retains the atmosphere that made its predecessor, Café des Artistes, a multi-decade institution for everyone from painters to corporate deal-makers. That continuity matters if you care about rooms with a real past.

The Food: Regional Italian Without Apology

Kitchen works across Italy's regions rather than committing to a single canon. The Michelin Plate designation signals competent, well-executed cooking rather than technical ambition at the level of a starred kitchen. Based on documented dishes, the menu includes grilled calamari with Sicilian-style eggplant caponata, fettuccine with guanciale and artichoke heart purée, and a dessert of mixed seasonal fruit with citrus jus and glazed Borgogno vermouth. These are not showpiece dishes, but they demonstrate a kitchen that respects its ingredients and does not over-complicate the brief. For a comparison point: if you want more assertive Italian cooking in New York, Via Carota or Babbo will push harder on flavor. If you want a grander room with more ceremony, The Leopard is the stronger call.

For those exploring Italian fine dining at the global tier, 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong and cenci in Kyoto represent what the format can reach at full stretch , useful reference points if this visit is part of a broader Italian dining interest.

The Drinks Program

The wine list tilts Italian, as you would expect from a room of this register, and the Borgogno vermouth appearing in the dessert course hints at a kitchen that takes its Italian producers seriously. The live jazz weekend brunch makes a case for arriving with a leisurely drinking plan rather than a tight schedule , this is a room where an extended Aperol or Negroni before the food arrives is the correct move, not an afterthought. The bar program is not the primary draw in the way it might be at a dedicated cocktail venue, but it is competent and Italian-leaning in a way that suits the room. For a more drinks-forward Italian evening, Ammazzacaffè or Altro Paradiso are worth your attention.

Booking and Practical Notes

At the $$$$ price point, The Leopard sits in the same tier as the city's starred rooms, which raises the bar for what you should expect. It delivers on atmosphere and reliable Italian cooking, but it does not deliver Michelin-starred technical precision. That trade-off is reasonable if the room is part of your calculation , and for most guests who choose this place, it is. Book at minimum two to three weeks out for dinner; the weekend jazz brunch fills faster. The Upper West Side location makes it a natural pairing with a Lincoln Center evening, and the Hotel des Artistes address means the entrance and lobby reinforce the occasion before you sit down.

For a broader view of where this fits in the city, see our full New York City restaurants guide, and if you are planning a stay nearby, our New York City hotels guide covers the Upper West Side options. Further afield, Ai Fiori is the city's most compelling Italian alternative at this price level for guests who want more formal tasting-menu ambition. For drinks and nightlife context, our New York City bars guide is a useful companion.

The Verdict

The Leopard at Des Artistes is worth booking if the room matters to you as much as the plate. The Michelin Plate recognition and 4.4 Google rating confirm a consistent kitchen, but the Howard Chandler Christy murals and the Hotel des Artistes history are what make this reservation defensible at the $$$$ price tier. Come for the jazz brunch if you want the full version of what this room offers, book ahead regardless of day, and treat the drinks as part of the experience rather than a preamble to it.

For more on planning your New York visit, see our New York City experiences guide and our New York City wineries guide. If you are comparing Italian fine dining across the US, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Smyth in Chicago, and Providence in Los Angeles are useful reference points for what $$$$ buys in other major cities.