The legend returns—just a little sharper around the edges.

Restoring El Quijote meant working with a piece of New York history. Opened in 1930, it’s the city’s oldest Spanish restaurant and a longtime neighbour to the Hotel Chelsea. Patti Smith wrote about it in Just Kids. Warhol and his crowd held court in the corner booths. It’s always been more than a restaurant—it’s a landmark, in every sense.

During the renovation, we uncovered the original hand-detailed ceiling, hidden for decades above dropped panels. We brought it back into view and let it guide the tone for the entire space.

We kept what made it great—its warmth, its drama, its unapologetic sense of self—while refining the things that needed it: layout, lighting, flow. The result is unmistakably El Quijote, just a little more ready for its next chapter.