Daily Times

I’m having dinner in the Grand Salon of Baccarat Hotel New York in Midtown Manhattan and I have a window seat, but there’s no chance of beholding the soaring skyscrapers outside, because the view is obscured by the floor-to-ceiling window’s corrugated crystal-effect glass.

But no matter, as the view on the inside is absolutely stunning. In every direction.

The 114-room Baccarat Hotel has a noble design aesthetic reminiscent of 18th-century France and is officially part of the legendary French Baccarat crystal brand so, naturellement, it’s dripping with exquisite crystal features.

There are 17 custom Baccarat chandeliers in the property, with a 64-arm chandelier the piece de resistance in the salon, and 100 custom-designed works of art. In the platinum-and-Champagne-hued salon, eye-catching pieces adorn towering shelves that reach towards the 35ft-high ceiling, while on the parquet floor below are a multitude of plush upholstered chairs and banquettes.

It’s a scene worthy of a painting, I muse, as I sip a glass of sigh-of-contentment-worthy Piper Heidsieck Cuvee 1785 Champagne (Baccarat crystal stemware, of course).

Fizz aficionados may like to note that Baccarat Hotel has curated the largest Champagne list in the United States, with over 250 references.

The art gallery features rotating solo exhibitions from established and up-and-coming artists such as Brooklyn-based Khari Turner and French abstract painter Toma-L.

Behind the art is a moodily lit 14-seat counter wrapped around a spotless stainless-steel kitchen, where a tightly choreographed brigade of highly talented chefs, led by Brazilian Franco Sampogna, produce an avant-garde tasting menu of the highest calibre.

I perch at the end and notice that every person who enters is giddy with excitement.

And so they should be, because Frevo is surely one of Manhattan’s choicest places to dine.

Ingredients from Ossetra caviar to Colorado lamb and from turbot to wild strawberries, are pushed to the limits of their versatility in a series of delightfully delectable dishes – a flight of fancy for the tastebuds.

And, if you have the wine flight, courtesy of award-winning French sommelier Quentin Vauleon, there’s a bonus odyssey for the palette thanks to seven interesting offerings by the glass, from a white Santorini Familia 2020 by Hatzidakis to an Uivo rose from Portugal. Art on the outside, culinary artistry on the inside.