Nora, short for North Railroad Avenue, features new buildings and renovated old warehouses along North Railroad, west of North Dixie Highway between Seventh Street and Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard.
See the construction progress of the $1 billion Nora district in West Palm
Construction and renovations are currently underway in Nora, the $1 billion dining, retail and residential district north of downtown West Palm Beach.
Pastis, New York’s famous Parisian-style brasserie, will open a branch in the Nora Hotel in West Palm Beach.
The restaurant’s opening is the culmination of a series of diverse dining options opening in the $1 billion dining and entertainment district currently under construction north of downtown.
But Pastis, from James Beard Award-winning restaurant owner Stephen Starr, is the “crown jewel” of the project, says Francis X. Scire, Nora’s leasing director.
Pastis is also another example of New York-area restaurants vying for a spot in this emerging West Palm Beach project as they follow the migration of wealth from the Northeast to Palm Beach County.
Richard Born, a member of the New York-based hospitality team developing the Nora Hotel, said the luxury boutique property will be a stylish addition to West Palm Beach, “which is emerging as the coolest part of Palm Beach County.”
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Opening of the Nora district expected early next year
Nora is short for North Railroad Avenue and features both new buildings and renovated old warehouses along North Railroad, which lies just west of North Dixie Highway between Seventh Street and Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard.
The newly created urban area comprises 40 acres, of which the Nora Development Group owns between 13 and 15 acres. Nora is being developed by NDT Development, Place Projects and Wheelock Street Capital.
The opening of the first phase of the project with restaurants and retail stores is planned for early 2025.
The Nora Hotel and Pastis Bistro will open in late 2026, approximately 18 months after the complex’s first restaurants and shops open.
In Nora’s first phase, look for restaurants like Sunday Motor Co. Café, a New Jersey-based all-day cafe offering food and coffee in a drive-in atmosphere.
Boston-based Loco Taqueria & Oyster Bar and several restaurants in New York, including H&H Bagels, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Juliana’s Pizza. New York-based The Garret Group is also planning a sports bar.
Celis Juice Bar and Café in West Palm Beach will also open a branch at Nora.
A new addition to the dining options is the Del Mar Mediterranean Restaurant, which features seafood and influences from Greece, southern Spain, Morocco, France, Italy and Turkey. The restaurant is part of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants Group of Columbus, Ohio.
Nora’s officials were “very careful” to ensure that there were no kitchen overlaps in the project, Scire said.
Pastis is part of the boutique hotel coming to Nora
Pastis will occupy the ground floor of the 201-room Nora Hotel. The 1,200 square meter space offers both indoor and outdoor areas.
Richard Born and Ira Drukier of BD Hotels are developing the property in conjunction with renowned hotelier Sean MacPherson. These hoteliers are behind some of New York City’s most iconic hotels, including The Bowery, The Jane, The Ludlow and The Mercer.
Born said Pastis fits well with his company’s stylish, sophisticated and high-quality hotel brand. “It ticks all the boxes,” he said.
The restaurant offers classic French dishes in a warm, inviting atmosphere, making it a good fit for a hotel, Scire added.
Look out for Pastis’ signature curved zinc bar, white subway tiles and red benches.
This will be the fourth location for Pastis, joining existing restaurants in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, Washington, DC and Miami.
In addition to Pastis, STARR Restaurants will help design the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and lounge, and will also operate room service. Born said it will also build a 100-seat lobby bar that will serve Pastis dishes that are different from those in the main restaurant.
At the restaurant, guests can look forward to Pastis’ classic starters such as French onion soup, snails and tuna carpaccio. Steak frites are offered with various cuts of beef, as well as main courses such as duck confit and grilled branzino.
Born said the extensive menu accommodates the needs of hotel guests who may want to dine at different times of the day.
Alexandra Clough is a business writer for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at [email protected]. X: @acloughpbp. Support our journalism. Subscribe today.
