The Walker

Tucked into the lobby of the Walker Hotel in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood, our Walker Cafe takes a step back from our typical modern style to play up the charms of the historic building instead. Designed in 1899 by architect William H. Berkmire, the Renaissance Revival–style ten-story building is decked out with turn-of-the-century finishes. In a nod to that grand version of Old New York, our interior features satin-finished dark walnut millwork, Carrara marble countertops, and period brass accents. We added a few more touches to emphasize some of the building’s quirks, for example, backlighting the ornate ironwork that hangs above the original elevator shaft. 

Whether guests enter from the hotel or the street, they can enjoy an espresso or a ready-to-pour batch before finding their way to the famed Cortlandt Alley. The narrow street just behind the cafe is often called the last true alleyway left in New York. Previously a shortcut between factories back when Tribeca was a thriving mercantile center, it is now home to the city’s smallest and perhaps most eccentric museum, Mmuseumm.