Celebrities used to be known for their on-screen endeavors. Now, they’re known for their side hustles, which often shine just as bright as they do. Because having a restaurant just has to be fun. And what else to do when you’ve made it big. These are celebrities with restaurants that are worthy to put on your list when you’re in town.
The Celebrity: Pharrell Williams
The Restaurant: Swan
Location: Miami
Overview
Pharrell has more talents than almost anyone. One of his best qualities is his eye for style and for curating a really good vibe. Swan brings together the elegance and sophistication that someone his caliber appreciates with incredibly delicious food. Located in Miami, the restaurant has a party-vibe without the actual party, which happens over at his hotel, The Goodtime Hotel. Instead, notables come to Swan to see and be seen while they dine on a perfected menu of internationally inspired dishes. The dining happens on the first level in indoor and outdoor spaces. Upstairs, Bevy Bar makes for an aesthetically pleasing place to wait for your table and a cute place to go on a date.
The Celebrity: Nicholas Braun
The Restaurant: Jac’s on Bond
Location: New York City
Overview
Cousin Greg of Succession might not have been known for his financial prowess, but Nicholas Braun certainly is. For clarity, we mean that he is well established as an investor in all things NYC restaurants, with names like Pebble Bar, Ray’s and of course, Jac’s on Bond in his portfolio. Celebrities with restaurants don’t play. While each restaurant has a different vibe, Jac’s is the most in-the-know, with a solid reputation as a neighborhood bar. However, as it is newly opened in the location of its predecessor, The Smile, it has big shoes to fill — which, with the help of Greg-err-Nicholas, it does. The vibe is upscale dive, with a decked out pool table, and plenty of tables. The menu, however, indeed says Succession, with a Caprese martini made with olive oil, tomato and balsamic.
The Celebrity: Lady Gaga
The Restaurant: Joanne Trattoria
Location: New York City
Overview
In 2012, Lady Gaga gifted this Upper West Side mainstay to her parents who currently run the restaurant. Perhaps unlike Gaga, Joanne Trattoria is simple, with good-old Italian food. It’s probably unlikely that you’d find her here dining with pops on any given day, but Joanne is distinctly her own. And because celebrities with restaurants can’t take over the spotlight, her pop’s spot offers a nice departure from the typical over-the-top energy from Gaga. Happy hour brings fruity and sweet cocktails, and the menu boasts hearty Italian favorites. This is the kind of place to come to if you need to fuel up on carbs before heading out downtown, or to a show. Joe Germanotta has a thing for old school NYC, and the friendly atmosphere says it all. Get the house special pasta, or the chicken parmesan.
The Celebrity: Issa Rae
The Restaurant: Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen
Location: Los Angeles
Overview
It’s impossible not to love Issa, and its also impossible not to love her spots in and around Downtown LA. Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen is more than just a coffee spot. The forward-thinking lunch/brunch restaurant has multiple locations, each with space for creatives to book meetings, or spontaneously nosh and gab in rentable spaces within the restaurants. The aesthetics are minimal and sexy — as a good coffee shop should be. And the menu is boundary pushing, with a horchata-Matcha hybrid drink, and borderline gastronomic avocado toast. Creatives in LA, rejoice. Most celebrities with restaurants leave the details to the professionals, but Issa made sure her restaurant partnered with local organizations supporting creatives in the area.
The Celebrity: Robert De Niro
The Restaurant: Nobu
Location: Worldwide
Overview
The honorable mention has to go to Robert De Niro, whose restaurant empire, Nobu, might actually be as famous as he is. The hotel and restaurant chain has locations all over the world in some of the most prestigious places possible. Signature dishes are sushi-inspired, while Chef Matsuhisa’s updated approach enables chefs to harness the region’s seasonal meat, fish, and produce. Each venue also has a different take on luxury, with upscale interiors also designed to blend the environment with Matsuhisa’s classic Japanese-Peruvian influence. As far as celebrities with restaurants go, Robert de Niro takes the cake.
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