NYC restaurant Leonetta brings a taste of the Mediterranean to Murray Hill

RD Studio designed the sunkissed interiors of New York restaurant Leonetta to evoke the warmth of the Mediterranean coastline.

Located at Lexington Avenue and 31st Street in Murray Hill, on the east side of Manhattan, the dining spot is helmed by celebrated American Chef Ed Cotton, who’s conceived a rustic but contemporary menu of Italian and Greek small plates, pasta, grilled seafood, meats and a chilled raw bar. RD’s interiors pick up this mantle, with swathes of warm wood, from tables and chairs to slatted ceilings, embodying this sense of modern rustic.

Diners step in through the raw bar, which evokes a seaside villa. The Mediterranean is famed for its olive groves and greenery, and over 100 living plants pepper the restaurant interior, hanging from the ceilings and bursting from built-in planters and terracotta pots around the space, brightening the interior and giving it a warm, tropical feel. Buttery yellow and tan banquettes seat diners in the main space, and olive green tiles accent the bar.

Leonetta’s sibling bar, Leo’s, is also slated to open below the restaurant later this fall. In the meantime, diners can tuck into dishes such as crispy pork shank shawarma with pita, house pickles and white and red sauce, black truffle mafaldine with cremini mushroom, mascarpone and parmesan crema, and grilled branzino with fennel, black olive, tomato and herb vinaigrette.

181 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY, 10016