THE JOURNAL
How the face of hot New York restaurant Sant Ambroeus uses La Mer products to soothe the effects of late nights.
For Mr Alireza Niroomand, maître d’ and creative genius behind one of New York’s coolest restaurants, Sant Ambroeus in SoHo, the notion of weekend and weekday, work and play, day and night can all become a little blurred.
“I love my work because to me it doesn’t feel like work. Going to the restaurant feels like going from my house to my other house,” he explains. “In Iranian culture, [hosting] is not a job, it’s life. And that’s what I always tell the staff here – people are coming to our house. We’re the hosts, they’re our guests.”
I love my work because to me it doesn’t feel like work. I basically shake a lot of hands, give a lot of kisses
Mr Niroomand is the welcoming face of Sant Ambroeus which he describes as “an upscale neighbourhood restaurant”. The regulars – many famous faces among them – return time and again because of the maître d’ as much as for the mozzarella.
“At work, I basically shake a lot of hands, give a lot of kisses,” he laughs. So looking after that face with good grooming is essential. A busy week in the restaurant with lots of late nights can take its toll on the 39-year-old’s skin. At weekends, he has a little more time to spend on skincare.
“I use The Concentrate from La Mer,” says Mr Niroomand. “I don’t know what’s in it, but it seems to work magic and makes my skin look brighter and smoother.” The Concentrate is a potent blend of La Mer’s signature Miracle Broth™ – which nourishes, moisturises and soothes – and anti-oxidants which help the skin repair naturally, akin to a breathable bandage. “I also massage a few drops of The Renewal Oil into my beard, which helps prevent it getting dry and itchy,” Mr Niroomand adds. “It also smells really good.”
Such is his passion for his work, Mr Niroomand will often pop into the restaurant on his days off, if only for a few minutes. At weekends, he and his Italian wife like to have friends over for brunch or dinner – she will cook and he will host. “My mum taught me my job,” he says. “From a very young age, I was hosting at home. Whenever my parents were having dinners, I was helping. There were always people coming to our house. It is a part of my culture. Our door was always open. If there was food for three, there was food for 10.”
When they do go out for brunch, they don’t venture far. Mr Niroomand’s go-to is the restaurant directly opposite his in SoHo called Jack’s Wife Freda. “It’s run by such a good couple, they were among the first people I met in the neighborhood because I knew how important they were here,” he says. “I went and introduced myself and we became friends.”