Jean-Georges Vongerichten will helm The Hermitage Hotel’s culinary programme, and designer Thomas Juul-Hansen has already been tasked with transforming the Nashville landmark’s restaurant and café.

Through this exciting partnership, Jean-Georges Vongerichten is to oversee all culinary operations at one of Tennessee’s finest properties.

Vongerichten teams up with The Hermitage Hotel

Vongerichten, the driving force behind a host of Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, will introduce fresh culinary experiences to guests and locals alike at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville. The centrepiece of this endeavour is a new destination restaurant and café, which are expected to open in the autumn of 2021.

“As I look ahead to my Nashville debut, I could not have asked for a more fitting locale than the city’s exquisite grand dame, The Hermitage Hotel,” said Vongerichten. “I am inspired by the bounty of the American South and look forward to honouring the recipes, flavours and traditions of the region, while also presenting a global perspective at this beloved and iconic Music City landmark.”

Vongerichten is already responsible for 39 acclaimed restaurants in cities across the globe, including New York City, Miami, London, Paris and Shanghai. At The Hermitage Hotel, he’ll now be involved in everything from concepts and menus to staff training and interior design.

“We can imagine no greater compliment to The Hermitage Hotel than to welcome the inimitable chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten to lead our culinary programme,” said co-owners Robert and Molly Hardie. “As we usher in a new era, we are delighted that Jean-Georges has chosen The Hermitage to serve as his Nashville presence. We look forward to welcoming guests new and old to experience Jean-Georges’ distinguished culinary stylings at The Hermitage Hotel.”

A revitalised culinary offering

The chef’s new restaurant will offer diners elevated yet approachable cuisine highlighting Tennessee’s regional produce and ingredients grown in the hotel’s Garden at Glen Leven. These ingredients, along with the South’s culinary traditions, will inspire menus incorporating signature plant-based dishes and oven-fired pizzas.

In addition, the restaurant will benefit from a modernisation programme by the designer behind the chef’s other restaurants, Thomas Juul-Hansen, creating a glamorous yet understated aesthetic and warm ambiance. Expect a palette of natural materials paired with dramatic lighting by Hervé Descottes of L’Observatoire International and bespoke furnishings, including banquette seating and mother-of-pearl pendant lamps. And the newly expanded restaurant entrance will be accessible from Sixth Avenue, making it stand out even more as a distinctive dining destination.

The new café adjacent to this restaurant space, meanwhile, will sell pastries in the morning, casual fare in the middle of the day, and small bites and cocktails by night. Last but not least, Vongerichten will oversee all of the hotel’s F&B concepts for meetings and events such as weddings.

“I am elated to share the news of our partnership with the celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten,” said Dee Patel, managing director of The Hermitage Hotel. “As a long-time admirer of Jean-Georges’ culinary skill, I am thrilled to watch him create a new, world-class dining experience at The Hermitage Hotel. It is sure to be unlike any that Nashville has ever seen.”

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