Results tagged “lounge”

From the team behind the tiny and exclusive club The Eldridge and Upstairs, CV is the latest reboot of a space in The Hotel on Rivington [i.e., THOR] that has previously done business as 105 Riv. Hilarious interview subject Matt Levine brought in nightlife poobah Steve Lewis to redesign it, and Lewis says he's made the place "a warm, comfy space to hang with a 'Meatpacking' aesthetic." (The name, by the way, is the address in Roman numerals; so now you have a dope pick-up line when you go there.)

Last week we noted the opening of a charming new restaurant/cocktail lounge/jazz bar called The Manhattan Inn in Greenpoint (located on Manhattan between Bedford and Nassau); but as you can see this place is so good looking it merits its own feature. This weekend we were actually lured there twice; the first visit was occasioned by our desire to wait out the Saturday afternoon rain and read over cocktails. The back room was uniquely suited for our purposes, and the Manhattan's Manhattan ($9) was as big and inviting as a heated private lap pool. (The classic specialty cocktail menu is from James Endicott, formerly of Per Se and Allen & Delancey, and there is also wine and craft beer on tap.)

Nestled between a Williamsburg condo construction site and another building occupied by a battalion of fashion models, the swank new tapas restaurant Bar Celona seems poised to cash in on (and advance) the neighborhood's steady drumbeat of gentrification. At first glance, one might assume this chic place is just a tad out of step with the still slightly scruffy South Side, but let's not forget that the well-appointed Dressler is just a few blocks away, and Aurora isn't exactly a dump, either. Bar Celona's interior design may be seductively or surreally luxurious, but that doesn't take anything away from the stellar cocktails or chef Jordy Lavanderos's first-rate menu. Also: fireplace.

Step inside Sazon, the new Latin Caribbean restaurant and lounge from the team behind Sofrito, a popular mid-price Puerto Rican spot in midtown east. The bi-level place opened quietly last month in the Reade Street space formerly occupied by Fresh Tribeca; the swank and sexy interior design features bright tropical colors, black lacquered chandeliers, a tufted leather back wall, and a coveted private booth secluded behind thick drapes. The elegant yet relaxed vibe extends to the downstairs lounge—tagged wall-to-wall by street artist James De La Vega—where a second bar facilitates weekend salsa dancing parties.

It seems like just yesterday that Sound Fix Lounge (the bar/venue attached to the record store) in Williamsburg was being shut down, only to be joyously reopened soon after. Well kids, now your precious Sound Fix is being taken away again! Reportedly "the license to serve booze will go bye-bye a little over a month from now" (and we all know comedy, nor music, work without alcohol). Word is that "the owner simply didn't want to fight the neighbors on this any longer." One of whom is allegedly Teresa Polonski, who works for Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, and as speculated last time she may have brought the Mayor's task force down on the venue.

Hea: Pronounced HEE, this South Asian and Japanese restaurant is named for "an extremely popular Cantonese slang word invented by Hong Kong teenagers, which refers to a relaxed or 'chill' state of being." To keep things chill, the bi-level place emphasizes "communal relaxation" with a bar lounge on the first floor (pictured) and formal dining with a sushi bar upstairs, where diners will be greeted by a 300-year-old calligraphy table, "behind which glitter ancient Chinese characters formed by natural sand crystals." We'll take centuries-old calligraphy over chipper hostesses any day! Chef Heng Meng Kong's menu ranges from asian spice rubbed charred beef with pumpkin peanut sauce to pan roasted miso black cod with asparagus lemon dressing. (Opening Monday.) 145 East 13th Street, (212) 982-1688

Get excited: There’s going to be an “exclusive” lounge opening any day now on the Lower East Side! It’s called The Eldridge (named for the street it’s on) and it promises to fabulously fill the void left by Luv 24/7, the previous lounge at the address. But what’s going to make The Eldridge sail where Luv 24/7 foundered? Owner Matt Levine tells Grub Street that, for starters, his 13-table room is going to have movie and popcorn nights on Mondays. And it’s going to be closed on weekends, because “as far as the vibe goes, the people who go to the Eldridge, they’re not in the city on weekends.” Other selling points:
• "We’re going to run a very tight door. It’s who you are and who you know. Yes, bottle service is part of the experience, and it involves chocolates!"
• "Mixed drinks will run you $16 to maybe $32 for the Eldridge, which uses Armand de Brignac and real gold sprinkles. Bottle prices are standard — like a bottle of Belvedere is $400."
• To get past the doorman you’ll have to get possession of 400 laser-engraved entry cards that say Guest of Matt Levine.
• "We’re going to have a hospitality consultant that’s going to talk to people and figure out what they need. Their wish is our command. Rather than security guards, we’re going to call them chaperones. Rather than waitresses, they’re table attendants. Rather than bartenders, we’re calling them butlers."

And on and on about Kate Moss and Tom Cruise and chauffeur service via Escalade, all climaxing in Levine’s assertion that “we’re not doing a lot of press. We’re going to be cool because we’re cool, not because we have a publicist doing press for us.” On second thought, the interview actually climaxes with commenter number one, who speaks for all that is noble and just in humanity: “I have never wanted anybody to fail more than this guy. BIG DOUCHE!”

With venues closing down left and right, it's nice to see some opening as well -- especially in Manhattan where most are getting priced out. "(Le) Poisson Rouge is "an 800-capacity multimedia art cabaret founded by musicians on the site of the historic Village Gate." The space, located at 158 Bleecker, will be opening once their ongoing major remodeling work is complete. Right now there are some events booked for June, but they tell us they'll be officially opening in September.

Any Greenpoint residents still speculating about renovations to the cavernous space on the corner of Franklin and Green – the one with the big silver garage door and the new lights along the northern wall – now have their answer: A bar called t.b.d. Co-owner Diane Foley explains that she finally gave up trying to come up with a name and just went with what she was using for all the paperwork.