Puck Yeah
Inside the New Spago

In this life, the only constant is change.

No use trying to stop it. All you can do is hope it brings more outdoor fireplaces and Japanese whiskey your way...

And that it’s Spago.

Take your exclusive first look at the new Spago, the 21st-century reincarnation of a power-dinner spot from an up-and-coming chef who just might make it big one day, now open.

First things first: during the two-month closure, they didn’t drown the place in chrome, techno and butterflies or anything. It’s still civilized. The kind of place you could bring your mom, your agent and your mom’s agent for a nice dinner of shared stuff for the table—sashimi, côte du boeuf and a whole turbot for four deboned tableside. It’s all still got indisputable eau de Puck.

Here’s the thing. It’s like Spago got a new suit. Everything’s dipped in brown and gunmetal gray. Past the bar, the patio’s got a retractable roof and a couple modern slabs of fireplace. The dining room now rocks some sleek modern art (think giant cracked iPhone), French oak floors, a 30,000-bottle wine closet and some prime lounge tables right at the border between indoors and out. These are key, because you can grab one anytime for a couple Samurai Swords (there’s that Japanese whiskey) without a reservation.

Swordplay requires a certain amount of spontaneity.