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Loose swaths

WORK • Friday Routine

Transatlantic

TOM MARCHANT • co-founder • Black Tomato
Neighborhood you live in: Fulham, London

It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’m the co-founder of Black Tomato, a luxury travel company designing personal, immersive journeys. I split my time across brand, product, and strategy, so my mornings are usually a mix of numbers and ideas. I’m London-based, but in New York this week, as I often am.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
If I’m downtown for a night, I’ll usually start at Dhamaka. I grew up in Birmingham in the UK, which has some of the best Indian food outside India, so I’m always chasing that standard and Dhamaka really delivers. Ernesto’s has also become a favorite for me. It’s one of those places where you can settle in for a long dinner without realizing how much time has passed. For drinks, Attaboy is still my reference point for a proper martini. No menu, just a conversation and you’re in good hands. If the night keeps going, I’ll usually drift to Mother’s Ruin for that relaxed, slightly unpredictable energy that makes New York nights feel like they can still surprise you. And if there’s time for one last stop, I still have a soft spot for the Ear Inn.

How about a little leisure or culture?
If I’m up early in New York, I’ll walk the High Line before it fills up. You see the city from a different angle and it’s one of the few times it feels quiet. For music, I usually end up at Bowery Ballroom or Mercury Lounge. Both are small enough that you’re right near the stage, pint in hand, no distance between you and the band.

Any weekend getaways?
Upstate is the obvious pull. If I’ve got a couple of days, I’ll head north to the Hudson Valley or the Catskills. It still surprises me how much creativity is packed into that stretch of countryside. You’ve got places like INNESS and Piaule that blend straight into the landscape, seriously good and local food thanks to local farms and proximity to the Culinary Institute.

What was your last great holiday?
We went to Sri Lanka, along the south coast, and split our time between Galle, Weligama, and Tangalle. In Galle, we’d wander the fort in the evenings; in Weligama, mornings were for surfing (trial and error). Tangalle was slower: long beach walks, grilled seafood at Smoke & Bitters, lots of rice and curry. We stayed at one of the beautiful houses within The Six, right by the ocean — it was bliss. We drove into Yala National Park and saw elephants moving through the scrub and a leopard appear out of nowhere, which was unforgettable. What stays with me most is the people: warm, curious and generous.

What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My electric moped from Horwin has changed how I move around London. I’ve got my eye on an electric motorcycle from Maeving next.

What NYC store or service do you love to recommend?
I’m an avid reader, so I’m always recommending Argosy Book Store on East 59th St., a slightly chaotic, old-school treasure trove. You go in for one thing and leave with three you didn’t know you needed.

Where are you donating your time or money?
While we’ve historically supported micro projects in communities we operate in, including Morocco and Peru, we’re excited to have recently launched a partnership with Global Fund for Children, an organisation that supports grassroots groups working with children and young people around the world. A member of our team was recently in Kolkata, seeing their impact firsthand. They back local leaders who already understand their communities, rather than trying to impose solutions from the outside.

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RESTAURANTS • Intel

SPRING RESTAURANT RUSH: The anticipated new fine dining restaurant from former Atomix head chef Hasung Lee, Oyatte, opens its reservation book