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Chef Michael White Returns to NYC with Stunning Italian Spot Santi in Midtown
December 31, 2024, 5:55.10 pm ET

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Photo: Seth Caplan

Michael White, the renowned chef, restaurateur, and innovator who defined Manhattan’s modern Italian restaurant scene with destinations like Marea, Ai Fiori, and Osteria Morini, returns to New York with the opening of Santi, from his BBianco Hospitality Group, along with business partner Bruce Bronster.


Photo: Evan Sung

Situated in the heart of midtown at Tishman Speyer’s 520 Madison Avenue, Santi explores seasonal Italian cooking through the lens of White’s many years living in Italy and the South of France, offering both a culinary retrospective and an exciting next step forward in his storied career.

The name Santi derives from White’s fond memory of his culinary mentor, Gianluigi Morini, a chef and bon vivant who helmed the kitchen at three-star San Domenico. Eager to taste the dishes from the kitchen, he would wave off a plate and utensils and say: “Le mani degli chef sono come le mani dei santi” – “The hands of chefs are like the hands of saints…le mani santi.”


Photo: Evan Sung

The menu showcases dishes from the Amalfi coast, and the South of France. Look for dishes like Busiate (saffron, crab, uni, lemon, Mollica), Garganelli (Nantucket bay scallops, salsa bianca, leeks, Osetra caviar) and Agnolotti (polenta & savoy cabbage ravioli, finanziera piemontese, raschera fonduta).



Photo: Evan Sung

Mains incorporate land and sea, with options like Faraona (roasted guinea hen, mushroom ragu, savoy cabbage, guanciale, rosemary broth), Cactus Parmigiana (crisp cactus, salsa pomodoro, scamorza cheese, basil) and Rombo (steamed turbot, anchovies, wood ear mushroom, spigarello). Crudos include Gamberi Rosso (Montauk red prawns, pickled chiodini mushrooms, crustacean aioli, and caviar) and Canestrelli (Nantucket Bay Scallops, black truffle, celery root, hazelnut oil).


Photo: Evan Sung

Cocktails also pay tribute to Italy like the Diavolo Fashioned (Michter's Rye, Jefferson Amaro Importante, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Demerara, Chocolate and Orange Bitters), Fifty-Fifty (Olive Oil Washed Taggiasca Olive Gin, Carpano Bianco) and Saint’s Cure (Chamomile-Infused Benriach The Original Ten, Marolo Milla Grappa & Camomile Liqueur, House Made Honey Ginger Syrup, Fresh Lemon Juice). Classic wines from France and Italy from Burgundy to Brunello are also available with a nod to lesser-known, hyper-local Italian wines.


Photo: Evan Sung

Dessert brings Tartaletta, made with fresh Sicilian pistachio, ricotta and pear, and the Millefoglie, a puff pastry with caramelized apple and bay leaf. As an accompaniment, the Shakerato (Braulio amaro shaken thoroughly until ice cold with a Guinness-like head) cannot be beaten.


Photo: Seth Caplan

The contemporary space, designed by Michaelis Boyd with lighting by L’Observatoire International, features five elegant, interconnected dining areas. A grand horseshoe bar with a dramatic yellow onyx backsplash greets guests upon entrance. A small staircase leads down to the “den,” where intimate half-moon banquettes are encased in rich green onyx. The Den seamlessly flows into The Courtyard, a striking double-height dining space with handpainted walls evoking dreamlike clouds.


Photo: Seth Caplan

The completely reimagined space is equal parts homecoming and new chapter for White, who once helmed the New York Times three-star and Michelin-starred Alto in the very same space.



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