This 3-Star Chef Brings Glitz to the Summer Restaurant Lineup

Markus Glocker ushers in an Austrian-influenced French spot

Austrian-inspired fare is seeing an uptick in New York with Austrian-born Marcus Glocker’s upcoming Koloman, on track to open late summer in partnership with Flatiron Hospitality’s EHV International in the former Breslin in NoMad. (16 West 29th St., Manhattan).

The traction (Wallsé, Wallsé Next Door, Cafe Sabarsky, his former home base, Bâtard) is helped along by a bakery boom — and the legendary status of Viennese pastries — as well as the popularity of good natural Austrian wines.

“There was always a presence of Austrian food in New York: It was never on the nose, but a mix of French and Austrian,” Glocker says. “It’s what we’re trying to bring to life.” The website describes the newcomer as “a contemporary French restaurant where [Glocker] blends Parisian creativity with Viennese tradition.”

Glocker adds glitz to the summer restaurant lineup as the former head chef of Keith McNally’s Augustine, now closed, as well as the New York Times 3-star chef-partner at Bâtard, which was also awarded a Michelin star. In 2015, Bâtard was awarded Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation.

Named for Austrian Secessionist artist Koloman Moser, who died in 1918, the restaurant will emphasize graphic design highlighted by the artist, as well as the Wiener Werkstätte-style that dovetailed with Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement. The dining room will be polished but not necessarily fancy and it will serve as the backdrop for a luxurious experience as well as a casual one, says Glocker. It’s the first New York project from London design firm Russell Sage Studio.

As far as the menu, as the kitchen fine-tunes dishes, it’s a work in progress. Expect plates like celery root "tartare", sweet corn soup with cured scallops, loup de mer with ratatouille, and salmon en croûte. Diners will also find souffles like a triple creme made with Pleasant Ridge cheddar, and Glocker's version of the Salzburger nockerl souffle. Expect a French, Austrian, and American wine list that’s “affordable and fun to explore,” says Glocker.

Glocker grew up working in his family’s hotel and attended culinary school in Linz, Austria.  His career includes cooking at Restaurant Eckart Witzigmann in Berlin, Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, Restaurant Steirereck Vienna, and Gordon Ramsay in London and New York.

The restaurant will start with dinner service only; there will be outdoor dining.