Cuerno Launches at Rockefeller Center

Cuerno New York, a Mexican steakhouse operated by the Costeno Group (Torreón, Mexico), will open this week in the Time-Life Building at New York’s Rockefeller Center. Cuerno is a tribute to the rich culinary and cultural heritage of northern Mexico, where fire and family recipes are at the heart of every meal, the group said in a news release.

“This opening represents the heart of who we are and where we come from,” said Costeno Group co-founder Alberto Martínez. “It’s a tribute to our roots, our culture and the flavors we grew up with, and it gives us the opportunity to share the true spirit of Mexican hospitality with the world.”

Designed by Mexican architecture firm A de Arquitectos (Monterrey, Mexico), the space features hand-carved woodwork, custom leather banquettes and layered textures that evoke an open-air hacienda, the release notes. The brickwork and locally made tableware reflect a blend of tradition and contemporary design and art plays a central role, with contemporary Mexican works that reinterpret traditional motifs like desert flora and ancestral fire rituals.

At the heart of the dining room is a mural by Saltillo, Mexico-based artist Federico Jordan, crafted with tiles made of soil from northern Mexico. It depicts a skeletal figure in a cobalt-blue hat riding a bull, surrounded by astrological symbols marking milestones in Cuerno’s journey. With a subtle gesture of a hat tip, the mural greets guests with gratitude.

In preopening coverage of the space last fall, the New York Post noted that Cuerno occupies a high-profile space on the West 50th side of the skyscraper at 1271 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan. The newspaper also reported that the space was formerly occupied by a Le Pain Quotidien bakery/restaurant, which closed in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Founded in 2006 by Martinez and Victor Setien in the aftermath of opening their first seafood restaurant, El Costenito, Costeno Group now has 50 high-end and casual restaurants in Mexico and Spain. In addition to Cuerno, the group’s brands include Ryoshi, Animal, Mochomos, Tigre, Hotaru, Ichikani, Amaterasu, Mika Bar, Botica and Sky Bar.