As tennis season arrives in New York, Baccarat Hotel New York welcomes Crystal Courtside, an immersive experience inspired by the precision, rhythm, and elegance of the game. Guests are invited to reserve a table tennis match on Baccarat’s signature ping pong table, distinguished by a crystal net, while enjoying a curated à la carte menu conceived under the culinary direction of two Michelin-starred Chef Gabriel Kreuther.

Inspired by the progression of a five-set match, the menu moves from the bright flavors of tomato gazpacho with blackberries and the exacting knife work of hand-cut steak tartare to richly composed courses of Maine lobster and lamb chops. Three tennis-inspired petit fours bring the experience to its final point, uniting the energy of the court with Baccarat’s signature artistry and refinement.

We spoke with Chef Kreuther about the seasonal ingredients, unexpected pairings, and considered details behind the culinary expression of Crystal Courtside.
 

Serving the Season with Chef Gabriel Kreuther

How did you translate the precision, movement, and elegance of the court into the flavors and presentation of the menu?

I thought about the menu almost the way you'd think about a match itself, it has to build, it has to have rhythm, and every course has to be exact. The Spicy Steak Tartare is a good example of precision: the knife work on that dish has to be perfect, cut by hand, no shortcuts, the same discipline as a well-placed serve. Movement comes through in how the courses play against each other. The gazpacho is light and quick, almost like a rally, and then the lamb chops slow things down with weight and richness before we pick the pace back up again. Elegance is really where Baccarat and I met in the middle. Their crystal is precise and luminous, and I wanted the plates to have that same clarity, nothing overcrowded, every element earning its place. The petit four course is where all three ideas come together: exact bites, each one plated with the same precision as a closing point, dressed in a tennis theme so the elegance has a little bit of play in it too.

Crystal Courtside brings the energy of the tennis season into the Baccarat Hotel New York. What inspired the culinary direction for the Crystal Courtside?

New York in late August belongs to the US Open. The whole city feels charged with it, and Baccarat sits right in the middle of that energy on 53rd Street. I wanted a menu that could hold its own at both ends of a match day, something vibrant and light enough for guests heading out to Flushing Meadows, and something a little more indulgent for the celebration afterward. The idea of a five-set match actually shaped the structure more than people might expect. You start light and sharp with the gazpacho, build through the tartare, reach the two mains, the lamb and the lobster, as the heart of the match, and then the petit four assortment becomes the trophy moment, five little points of celebration to close it out. Baccarat's crystal gave me the elegance while the U.S Open gave me the energy. I just had to find the menu that let both live on the same table.

Which seasonal ingredients or unexpected flavor pairings define the menu, and is there one creation you are especially excited for guests to discover?

Late summer in New York gives you incredible produce, and I wanted the menu to lean into that rather than fight it. The Tomato Gazpacho with seasoned cottage cheese and blackberries is probably the most unexpected pairing on the menu, the sweetness and slight tartness of the blackberries against a cold, savory tomato soup, with the cottage cheese adding a creaminess you don't usually get in a gazpacho. It surprises people in the best way. The Maine Lobster with roasted local corn is more of a classic Eastern seaboard pairing, but I wanted the corn treated with real care, roasted until it has some char and concentration, so it stands up to the lobster instead of just sitting next to it. If I had to pick one creation I'm most excited for guests to discover, it's the petit four assortment. Each is built like its own small match point, with its own flavor story, and together they're dressed in a tennis theme that I think guests are going to have a lot of fun with. It's the most playful course on the menu, and after four courses of precision, I like ending on something that lets a little joy in.

Take Your Place Courtside

From August 28 through September 13, step beneath the chandeliers for a spirited celebration of tennis season at Baccarat Hotel New York. Reserve your Crystal Courtside experience to enjoy a match on Baccarat’s crystal-netted ping pong table alongside Chef Gabriel Kreuther’s specially curated menu of tennis-inspired cuisine and cocktails.