The Bernards Inn at 27 Minebrook Road in Bernardsville is Chef David Burke’s ninth restaurant in New Jersey and his 19th worldwide. — Courtesy: Hampshire Destination Properties LLC
By Joshua Burd
The owners of The Bernards Inn have teamed with acclaimed chef David Burke as part of a plan to breathe new life into the historic hotel and restaurant property in Somerset County.
Hampshire Destination Properties LLC, a subsidiary of The Hampshire Cos., said David Burke Hospitality Management will oversee the food and beverage service component of the hotel at 27 Minebrook Road in downtown Bernardsville. Plans call for updates to the property’s main bar and lounge area and two yet-to-be-named restaurants — a larger, main space for fine dining with 120 seats on the upper level and a smaller, 100-seat offering inside what was known as the Silver Vault and Wine Pantry on the lower level, where Burke plans to create a more casual atmosphere with a small plates menu and availability for private events.
The new spaces are slated to open this fall, although lunch and dinner service will continue in the main dining room, wine cellar and on the patio as renovations continue for the bar and lounge area, according to a news release. Additionally, Burke and his executive team will ultimately manage the hotel’s operations and its 20 luxury guest rooms, with plans to renovate them in the future.
“This is one of New Jersey’s greatest, iconic properties,” said Burke, who now has nine restaurants in New Jersey and 19 worldwide. “We are bringing it back to its glory days.”
Hampshire and Burke also pointed to plans for décor that echoes the area’s equestrian theme, which he has embraced at his Red Horse restaurants in Rumson and White Plains, New York, the news release said. Other plans are still in development, they said, but the update will revitalize the property while respecting its historic nature and its dedication to serving local ingredients.
To that end, Burke’s team will add decorative elements to the patio similar to the distinctive jockey statues once seen at New York City’s legendary culinary landmark, 21 Club, now permanently closed.
“We are excited to partner with Chef David Burke with his excellent reputation for owning and operating numerous award-winning restaurants,” said Alex Imperatore, owner and senior real estate manager with Morristown-based Hampshire. “We feel it is time to raise the bar and infuse The Bernards Inn with new energy and an updated concept. We believe Chef Burke, with his culinary achievements, creativity, finesse and solid professional connections, is the right professional to help us achieve our goals.”
The 116-year-old property, a AAA Four Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Recommended hotel, also has a banquet hall for up to 200 seats that is a favored destination for weddings and other functions. Its patio, meantime, is a plant-filled space with 30 to 40 seats.
“We are looking forward to creating a must-go, top-of-its-class and quintessential dining experience focused totally on the guest experience,” Burke said. “I have a great respect for New Jersey’s historic businesses and I get a kick out of infusing them with new vigor and fun ensuring they continue into the future. When I walk in The Bernards Inn I feel its greatness like an old stadium or theater. I think, ‘Wow, if these walls could talk.’”
Hampshire noted that the property is across the street from the NJ Transit train station, where Manhattanites arrive and a porter greets them to carry their bags the short walk to the Inn. The facility is also a 35-minute drive from Newark Liberty International Airport, 55 minutes from New York City and 90 minutes from Philadelphia.
The Bernards Inn has had multiple owners and renovations throughout the years, Hampshire added, but said the staircase that was once in the original Hotel Plaza in New York City remains today. It has also survived devastating events such as a fire, two pandemics, floods and Prohibition.
The firm added that the area is home to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, the USGA Golf Museum, Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey and Somerset Country Club among other notable properties.
