I always like to go to the “hot spots,” in any city. And while I’m not a foodie, I do appreciate atmosphere–the reason I go out to dinner is to enjoy the ambiance of a place, see people I know and have fun! That’s why I’ve really enjoyed my recent visits to The Lion.

The Lion opened just a few months ago, and I started hearing a lot of buzz: people described it as a real celebrity scene, and a fun place to go. One night, I was at the Boom Boom Room with a friend from Paris, Marcel Marongiu (the designer at Guy Laroche), and we happened to meet a wonderful man named Omar. When he gave me his card and explained that he worked at The Lion, my eyes lit up–I knew I was going to call him and finally visit this hot restaurant everyone was talking about.

The interior of the restaurant, seen from the upstairs dining area

It just so happened that my new Editorial Director, Mark Grischke, had just joined my team at the beginning of June–so I decided to celebrate by taking a small group to The Lion. I made an 8:30 reservation, and we met at the crowded bar where people were standing 4 or 5 rows deep. And then we waited….and waited…and waited, for an hour and a half.

Just when we didn’t think we could wait any longer, Omar whisked us into the dining room, and suddenly everything changed. Cameron Diaz passed us in the narrow hallway, and the room was full of attractive people. Lauren Santo Domingo was throwing a birthday party for her husband upstairs. And then David Zinczenko, the editor in chief of Men’s Health (and one of the partners in the The Lion), went past and settled into a corner booth with Ed Norton.

I’m not jaded–I like seeing movie stars. And the vibe of the place was good. Still, I decided to give it a rest and let it “settle” a bit. I didn’t go back until early August, when New York is typically quieter. The bar was certainly more manageable, and we were shown to our table without a fuss. But as we entered the back room, I told my friend (in French) to look to her right. There sat Hugh Grant! He caught my eye, and seemed to recognize me (we met years ago), and when I got up later during dinner he met me in the aisle. We said hello, and he told me he was just passing through town on his way to Canada. What a nice (not to mention good-looking) man!

Standing in the doorway at The Lion

At this point, I’ve visited the restaurant four times, and each occasion has been fun in different ways. I really like the sommelier–a young woman–who, on my most recent visit, recommended Pol Roger’s special Winston Churchill Champagne. Delicious! I also met one of the restaurant’s partners, a charming man named Mark, who came up to my table to introduce himself. All of which makes me feel very welcomed. I can’t wait to visit during New York Fashion Week–I’m sure the entire place will be an amazing scene!

Photographs by Noël Sutherland