Chez Margaux Gives Manhattan a Home for Paris and London Lux

Sky Construction Management, which oversaw the transformation from vacant space to one of New York City’s hottest venues, sees the membership club as a mix of Manhattan and Paris with a touch of the Far East, a private paradise and refuge from the bustle of Manhattan streets above.

“Pulling inspiration from New York City and Paris, the club’s design provides a transformative experience, with gorgeous mosaics, a massive fireplace, and a warm, inviting library,” is how Sky Construction puts it.

Jean-Georges Restaurants sees the club as “inspired by the elegance of Paris in the 1930’s and London’s renowned nightlife culture.” London has more members-only clubs, but the members-only aspect will appeal to those seeking a high-end experience. While some clubs are about high tech, dancing, or booming beats, Chez Margaux, as the chef puts it, offers a “level of hospitality, community, and ambiance merging these rich experiences.”

“Margaux offers a unique blend of sumptuous spaces,” is the way Chef Jean-Georges sees the club.

The main dining room features modern French cuisine, along with a Japanese-inspired lounge for casual dining and a caviar-and-cocktails bar that transforms into the nightclub Gaux Gaux at 11 p.m.

While Chez Margaux has its own ambiance, featuring a luxurious regal or royal red, it’s also filled with “private spaces” for special dinners or drinks.

Elise Taylor, a senior lifestyle writer at Vogue, described Chez Margaux as a mix of the Gilded Age and a “hidden room within the walls of Versailles.”

Kyle Hotchkiss, head of hospitality for Margaux, told Vogue: “We really want to create something more like this European, London-style members’ club.”

Hotchkiss worked with Michael Cayre, who also helped bring the Seaport’s Casa Cipriani to New York, as well as designer Lauren Mishaan. The private club mixed Murano glass, a marble candelabra, and a 17th-century Italian mirror. And while this isn’t part of the design, per se, celebrities have been known to drop in. Leonardo DiCaprio dropped by while Taylor was visiting.

The Membership Model

While many venues tout exclusivity, it’s more than marketing at Chez Margaux, which offers access through individual or corporate memberships designed to deliver not just the illusion, but the reality of an exclusive venue.

They offer a membership for those under 30 at $3,000 per year plus a $2,000 initiation fee, and a rate for those 30 and older at $4,000 annually plus a $3,000 initiation fee.

Chez Margaux also touts an Executive Membership for those who see the club “not just as a destination, but as an extension of their lifestyle.” For members who entertain frequently and want priority access to the space, Executive Membership costs $25,000 plus a $5,000 initiation fee.

“This membership is intended for those who appreciate elevated hospitality, flawless service, and easy access to one of New York’s most exclusive venues,” according to the club, which states that this allows hosting private events at Chez Margaux.

Executive Membership provides five guest passes daily and priority access to the maître d’ and membership director for “personalized assistance with last-minute reservations, special accommodations, and curated experiences.”

Companies can also use Chez Margaux to entertain and grow their business. The corporate membership costs $20,000 per year plus a one-time $6,250 initiation fee, including a 50% discount on the initiation fee.

That membership includes use of a company credit card and access to various areas of the club, including the main dining room, private dining room, library, jungle room, lounge, and club room, to host events for clients or business associates, “based upon availability.”

Celebrity Chef Curated Cuisine

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is part of the recipe for Chez Margaux. A native of Strasbourg, Alsace, France, he apprenticed under Chef Paul Haeberlin, then worked for Paul Bocuse and Master Chef Louis Outhier at L’Oasis in southern France.

He brings a three-star Michelin background and experience in Asia, training at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, the Méridien Hotel in Singapore, and the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong. Chez Margaux brings a mix of Parisian and Eastern appeal.

Instead of meat stocks and creams, his cuisine uses intense flavors and textures from vegetable juices, fruit essences, light broths, and herbal vinaigrettes. Involved in the concept, menu, architectural design, staff selection, and training, he provides the food and helps shape the club’s Parisian feel.

While Chez Margaux stands alone as a high-end membership club, Jean-Georges’s general cuisine represents an empire of around 60 eateries worldwide.

In addition to Chez Margaux, he operates restaurants in New York City, including Paris Café, Jean-Georges, ABC Cocina, ABC Kitchen, ABC Kitchens Dumbo, abcV, Nougatine, Terrance at Nougatine, Perry Street, JoJo, Four Twenty Five, The Fulton, The Mark, and the Building by Jean-Georges.

Like many others with restaurants in Manhattan, he has added the Hamptons to his menu, operating Jean-Georges at the Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, along with restaurants in Greenwich, Las Vegas, Miami Beach, Nashville, and Philadelphia.

Jean-Georges also published several cookbooks, including Simple Cuisine (Wiley, 1990); Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef (Broadway Books, 1998), which won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Cookbook Award in 1999; and Simple to Spectacular (Broadway Books, 2000). His most recent title is JGV: A Life in 12 Recipes, co-written with Michael Ruhlman (Norton, 2019).

Although Chez Margaux is a private club, Jean-Georges is a global celebrity chef who has appeared on Live! with Regis and Kelly, the Today Show, Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart Show, The Early Show on CBS, Top Chef, and the Food Network. He also has appeared on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Along with the food, the atmosphere and feel are crafted to make guests feel at home, featuring a luxurious staircase, fireplace, and library. It exudes a historic European ambiance, though it is new. Chez Margaux offers a sense of luxury, not just as a word, but as a way of life, where elegant design and excellent food meet in Manhattan.