The first BiCE restaurant was founded in Milan in 1926. Today there are more than twenty Bice Restaurants and Bistros on every continent...
Federico Delrosso undertaked the delicate task - restyling of the BiCE restaurant in New York, first opened on 54th Street in 1987. The project was by the then emergent Adam Tihany, later well-known for his designs of numerous restaurants and hotels.
Federico Delrosso also designed the interiors of the Bice restaurants in San Diego (2008) and Istanbul (2009), and the CaféB in New York (2011).
"From the strictly design point of view, I tackled the restyling project in a way I would almost describe as ‘ethical’.” – Federico Delrosso
Rather than destroying the original layout, he chose to respect Adam Tihany’s design and bring out the distinctive features of his project by highlighting them. Of course, he has removed the elements that he saw as accretions on the original project, stratified over time: lamps, pictures, floors... seeking to recreate the original elegant atmosphere with a palette of shades that would be darker but also more luminous. He added, as the only new feature, a collection of black and white photos running along the walls in the interiors. In this way he tried to evoke that special atmosphere of Italy in the '60s, which perhaps the patrons of an Italian restaurant will be looking for, naturally in addition to the flavours of Italian tradition. The black and white photos are also the common thread that ideally links this project to the other Bice restaurants that he designed in Istanbul and San Diego.
Bice was started in Milan in 1926 by Beatrice “Bice” Ruggeri, and the company is still run by the Ruggeri family. As it's situated near the Theater District, the restaurant offers a three-course prix fixe dinner for theater goers.
The New York outlet of this venerable Milanese luxury restaurant chainlet embraces an appropriately Midtown power set air. The bright dining areas feature high-peaked ceilings, oversized floral arrangements, sleek wooden chairs, and guests as “polished” as the plates they are served. The vast array of classic Northern Italian dishes, known for their robust sauces, homemade pastas, and cheeses galore, comes complete with sky-high price tags fit for the finance industry clientele.
BiCE Ristorante is located in the heart of mid-town Manhattan and is among the busiest and most renowned Northern Italian restaurants in the United States. The interior is designed by internationally award-winning designer, Adam Tihany. Altough some of the most sophisticated and discerning people in the world dine beneath its airy ceilings, dress code at BiCE is elegant casual.
Italian dishes such as the incredible Taglioni Lobster, Ravioli Massala, Ossobucco and Papardelle al Telefono, to name a few, having long demonstrated the chefs skill in blending Northern Italian and American cuisine with uncompromising results. Here, you can experience the long tradition that made BiCE one of the most elegant and satisfying Italian dining experiences in New York City.
"Architecture must have a soul - it's own soul that is echoed in every detail. Light and shadow must be delicately balanced to reach the unique and magic point. It should have an independent voice from the people who made it and those that live in it - created by man and for man. This is my mission……" Federico Delrosso
Interior design: Federico Delrosso
Photography: Adrian Wilson
