The reservationist follies won’t stop since chef Joël Robuchon opened his L’Atelier restaurant in the Four Seasons hotel, just blocks from three-star Atelier in the Ritz-Carlton. “It’s too close,’’ says Atelier reservation manager Ana Nistor. “We can’t tell every caller that we are not Mr. Robuchon’s restaurant. Guests do call for this restaurant, too, believe it or not. All we can do is make sure that we mention that we are in the Ritz-Carlton.’’ Some dinner parties have actually split, says Robuchon’s assistant manager Prue Peterson, with half showing up at each restaurant. “That name has gone with the chef from Japan to France to Las Vegas,’’ she says. “This isn’t our only problem. We also have confusion between the Four Seasons hotel and The Four Seasons restaurant.” The befuddlement will end soon, though, since Atelier closes in January and will be reopened with a new name by the BLT team.

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Related:

• Archive: “Intelligencer”
• Articles by Beth Landman
• Table of Contents: Dec 18, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!