Two of New York City’s most experienced hospitality pros have teamed up to open a new concept on the Lower East Side.
Maison Nur debuted in late June and is named for nightlife veteran Nur Khan. He created No. 79 Bar & Terrace and Bar Tetto Rooftop, and he previously ran high-end lounges and clubs like Wax, Two Fifteen, Rose Bar, Butterfly Soho, and Sway.
Khan is joined by executive chef Richard Farnabe, who began his career in France before coming to New York. His résumé includes top kitchens across the city, including Daniel, Jean-Georges, Petrossian Restaurant, and Picholine, which received two Michelin-stars during his tenure.
Maison Nur was designed by Khan and Jason Volenec of Volenec Studios. The upscale restaurant is lush and moody, with patinated walls, mohair banquettes, and candlelit tables that exude Old World romance. The bar is one massive slab of marble, and artwork, including a piece from Damien Hirst, is peppered throughout the space.
One standout dish features spaghetti neatly wrapped around Parmesan cheese.
Khan said that he’s excited to collaborate with Farnabe, a chef who he has long admired, noting his rise through the city’s culinary ranks.
“He is highly awarded and revered, and we have given him full creative freedom to express his vision and cook from his heart,” he said.
Farnabe describes the food as “elevated and seasonal French-American cuisine” that is refined but approachable. The ingredient-driven menu includes wild-caught fish, grass-finished beef, organic eggs, pure cane sugar, and organic unbleached flour.
“We envision Maison Nur as the kind of place that our guests can visit several times a week and discover dishes that they cannot enjoy elsewhere,” Farnabe said.
Entrées include duck breast (pictured) as well as Dover sole and prime steaks.
Appetizers include a couple of decadent options like caviar service and a mushroom mille-feuille with artichokes and foie gras, as well as lighter options like heirloom tomatoes and watermelon with basil sorbet.
One standout starter is the Parmesan wrapped spaghetti, which features a block of cheese wrapped neatly in strands of pasta, all swimming in a shallow pool of creamy Parmigiano Reggiano sauce.
“That’s a fun one, isn’t it?” said Khan. “We basically took the pasta with cheese concept and flipped it.”
Entrées include a roasted duck breast with crispy layered potatoes, cherry blossom trout with razor clams and fava beans, and a 24-ounce dry-aged prime rib eye steak that’s meant to share.
The restaurant is led by executive chef Richard Farnabe and hospitality veteran Nur Khan.
Maison Nur’s wine list was compiled by Farnabe and includes a global selection by the glass and bottle. The cocktail menu comes from bar veteran Charlotte Voisey, who has created drink menus and consulted for bars around the world. A couple of original drinks are Tears of a Clown, made with tequila, tomato, watermelon and cucumber water, lime, and rosé wine, and the Last Days of Disco, featuring pisco, lemon grass, lemon, and sparkling wine.
The restaurant will soon be joined by another space downstairs, which Khan called “more of a lounge-y, hangout space.” It features plush seating and a separate bar, and it will spin playlists that Khan curated himself.
