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After a housekeeping touch-up, the newly renovated Royalton hotel finally removes its “Do not disturb” sign to unveil a striking new pad—dark wood, leather walls, bronze fireplace—with an equally striking restaurant from restaurateur John McDonald and chef Scott Ekstrom. “We wanted to tap into the core DNA of an American brasserie,” says McDonald, “but to allow Scott to interpret that.” Ekstrom (Daniel, Oceana) delivers a seasonal American menu teeming with updated classics like braised lamb shank, pan-roasted veal chop and white bean stew with foie gras and duck confit. “They’re not meant to be fussy dishes,” he adds. “[Scott] is taking the recipes that he really believes strikes a chord with a brasserie background and elevates them.” It’s an unexpected project for McDonald, who didn’t plan on opening another restaurant so soon (he’s also behind Lever House, Chinatown Brasserie and Lure Fishbar), but who couldn’t pass up a shot at working on the uber-stylish Royalton. The restaurant is flanked by canopies of dramatic woven rope, which arch over cream leather banquettes and provide a radiant contrast to the hotel’s moody lobby. “It’s an incredible asset to that neighborhood and the crowd that it brings,” McDonald says of the Royalton. “It’s the perfect storm.”