Основатель сети Dante в Нью-Йорке превратила исторический бар в мировую знаменитость, сделав акцент на эмпатии и деталях

Nathalie Hudson never imagined she would build one of the world’s most celebrated hospitality brands. Trained in international law and human rights, she spent nearly a decade supporting asylum seekers before teaching at the University of Sydney. But her belief in storytelling and human connection would ultimately become the foundation of Dante NYC, as well as a global portfolio of cafes, bars and restaurants. After years of long-distance with her husband and business partner, Linden Pride, the couple chose to make New York their home. “At the time, Linden was building the hospitality division for a design group in Australia while I was teaching and continuing my work in international law,” Hudson says. “We simply wanted to live in the same city.” In 2015, they took a leap of faith by revitalizing the century-old Caffe Dante, preserving its rich history while introducing a fresh vision of timeless design. Hospitality, for me, has always been about empathy, human connection and how you make people feel. Their approach transformed the historic café, which first opened its doors in 1915, into an international destination that would be called The World's Best Bar in 2019. As Co-Owner and Creative Director, Nathalie has since shaped every Dante concept. She oversees not only operations and brand identity, but also the interiors, music, uniforms, aprons, tableware and guest experience, believing that every design detail contributes to how people feel the moment they walk through the door—long before they have a sip of the best Negroni, stateside. That philosophy is evident across her collection of destinations. Dante Aperitivo, her newest restaurant in New York’s West Village, reimagines Italy’s aperitivo ritual as an all-day dining experience inspired by the Amalfi Coast and the romance of la dolce vita. Design has become one of my greatest creative passions, even though I have no formal design training. Every Dante space tells a story... Caffe Paradiso, another of Nathalie’s passion projects, channels the community-centered café culture of Australia, where the barista is as much a neighborhood host as a coffee expert. Beyond New York, she has helped expand the Dante brand to Beverly Hills at The Maybourne and to Claridge’s in London, where a two-month residency turned into a permanent home. Across its portfolio, Hudson’s interior designs thoughtfully adapt each location to its surroundings while maintaining the brand’s soul. Here, she shares her founder journey and design story. Your background is in international law and human rights. How did that experience shape the way you approach hospitality today? Nathalie Hudson: I spent nearly a decade working with the United Nations supporting asylum seekers and refugees. Later, I taught International Law and Human Rights at the University of Sydney, as well as corporate social responsibility. Those experiences shaped how I lead today. Hospitality, for me, has always been about empathy, human connection and how you make people feel. Was New York what you imagined when you moved here? Hudson: Not at all. When I moved to New York, I continued teaching online, often working Australian hours. Linden was traveling constantly for work, so despite finally living in the same city, life felt surprisingly isolating. It wasn't the New York experience I had imagined. My work with asylum seekers had been incredibly meaningful, but also emotionally consuming. I throw myself completely into everything I do, and working alongside people experiencing profound trauma stays with you. At the same time, Linden and I were beginning to think about starting a family. I realized that if we wanted to build the life we envisioned, we needed to create it ourselves. Q: Was that the moment you decided to leave your careers and build a business together? Nathalie Hudson: I remember saying, "Let's blow it all up. Let's leave our careers and build something together." We wanted to become masters of our own time. We just didn't know what that business would be. Then a friend who was a broker called and said, “Come look at this off-market space.” That space was Caffe Dante. The original Caffe Dante opened its doors in 1915 as a neighborhood cafe for local Italian immigrants. Over the course of the next 40 years, it became a go-to for the community as well as local famous faces, from Al Pacino to Whoopi Goldberg and Bob Dylan. In 2015 the Flotta family sold it to us. What was it about Caffe Dante that made you believe it could become something special? Hudson: It was 2015, exactly one hundred years after the café first opened, and it was still owned by the same family. The building needed love, but the history was extraordinary. We immediately felt there was something incredibly special about it. Many of the neighborhood regulars were understandably nervous. They’d tell us, "I've been playing cards here every day for years," or, “This is where I come every morning for my espresso.” Rather than replace what Dante had been, we wanted to honor it. People began bringing us old photographs of the café, sharing memories and stories. It became less about reinventing Dante than asking what the next chapter should be. The Negroni became such an important part of Dante's identity. Why did you focus so intensely on one classic cocktail? Hudson: The name Dante comes from Dante Alighieri, whose home was Florence. Florence is also the birthplace of the Negroni, so we became obsessed with making the very best Negroni in New York City. Every detail mattered—the ingredients, the temperature, the dilution, the ice, the ratios. We believed that if a drink has only a few ingredients, every one of them has to be perfect. I still remember walking through Washington Square Park one day and passing the Garibaldi statue. Linden looked at me and said, "Garibaldi is such a beautiful drink." It's only Campari and citrus, but that's exactly the point. We started experimenting with different citrus and fresh juices, inspired by bars in Sydney that would juice fruit right in front of guests. Even something as simple as the type of juicer changed the texture and flavor. Those details became part of our philosophy. You were also pregnant when Dante opened. What were those early months actually like? Hudson: Those early days were incredibly difficult. There wasn't a big team. I was pregnant, Linden was behind the bar, and we had one bartender, one barback and one chef. Some days we’d make only about three hundred dollars. We were struggling to pay rent, Airbnb-ing our apartment and sleeping on friends’ sofas just to keep the restaurant alive. Failure simply wasn't an option. What changed the trajectory of Dante? Hudson: Time Out reviewed us, and while there were people who questioned why two Australians had taken over an iconic New York institution, people also understood that we genuinely cared about its history. Our Negroni program became something people hadn't seen before. Instead of serving one classic version, we created fifteen different interpretations. In 2016, our Negroni was named Drink of the Year, and that recognition completely changed the trajectory of our business. In 2017, Dante entered The World's 50 Best Bars list. Two years later, we were named the World's Best Bar. How did you approach the pandemic, when the hospitality industry was facing such uncertainty? Hudson: We made the decision that if there was any way we could stay open, we would. We began bottling cocktails and, every evening at five o’clock, cooked family meals for anyone who needed one—our staff, members of the community, people experiencing homelessness and hundreds of hospital workers. Dante continued to expand. How did the brand evolve beyond the original café? Hudson: Around that same period, we were preparing to open Dante West Village. Like everyone else, our plans shifted repeatedly during the pandemic, but eventually we were able to open when outdoor dining became possible. From there, opportunities continued to grow. We opened Dante Beverly Hills at The Maybourne, where we created a California expression of Dante centered around al fresco dining and rooftop hospitality, and later accepted an invitation from Claridge's in London for what was intended to be a two-month residency. It proved so successful that it became a permanent home for Dante. How did you approach the design of Dante Aperitivo, your smaller yet stunning location on Bank Street? Hudson: Design has become one of my greatest creative passions, even though I have no formal design training. Every Dante space tells a story, from the materials and lighting to the music and uniforms—it all helps shape how people feel when they walk through the door. For Dante Aperitivo, I wanted to create my own interpretation of the beautiful European restaurants I've always admired: elegant but welcoming, refined yet deeply comfortable, inspired by Italy and France while still feeling unmistakably New York. You also created Caffe Paradiso next door. What inspired that concept? Hudson: Around the same time, another unexpected opportunity appeared. The landlord asked whether we'd also be interested in the tiny former barber shop two doors down. I immediately knew what I wanted to do. I'd always dreamed of creating an Australian-style neighborhood coffee shop because it was the thing I missed most after moving to New York. In Australia, your local café isn't simply somewhere you buy coffee. The barista knows your name. It's where your day begins, where conversations happen and where community forms. I've always believed the barista is really the bartender of the morning. That little space became Caffe Paradiso. I designed every aspect of it around warmth, ritual and connection, while Linden developed a coffee program inspired by cafés around the world, including our salted brown butter latte on tap. The response has been extraordinary. There’s a line down the block almost every day, rain or shine.