The Lion restaurant offers a vibrant, buzzing dining scene with a sense of old-world luxury at every corner. Acclaimed designer Meg Sharpe created the interiors of this West Village gem by scouring for the city’s best antiques to give a nostalgic vibe. Works by David La Chapelle, Basquiat and Marilu Nordenflycht hang around the beautiful gentleman’s club-style dining room. Celebrities will be quietly ushered to the upstairs loft dining room, while ‘regular’ diners enjoy the well-lit, sunken dining room below. The restaurant can get a bit scene-y, but its exclusiveness is tempered by the accessibility of its dishes, such as the hamburger topped with pork belly, provolone, smoked cheddar and caramelized onions, with a jar of pickles served on the side. Try the asparagus under a fat and luscious egg with mushrooms and a tangy hollandaise, or a juicy bone-in pork chop with a balsamic vinegar glaze. But whatever you do, don’t miss out on the cheesecake served in a jar, a great mash-up of spoonfuls of cheesecake, honeyed graham-cracker crumble and rhubarb.
