Among a wave of new venues with tiki-style motifs is the Hurricane Club, a modern Polynesian restaurant from Fourth Wall Restaurants president Michael Stillman and chef/partner Craig Koketsu that opened in late September. Designed by AvroKO, the 13,000-square-foot, 350-seat space is divided into a series of themed rooms—some of which are available for private events—each sporting Pacific Island-inspired embellishments. Just one block east of Madison Square Park, the eatery is convenient for business groups, albeit for more casual entertaining than formal get-togethers.
The Hurricane Club's central and largest area is the Hurricane Room, a space decorated with butternut wood panels and millwork, forest green leather dining banquettes, and low lighting from crystal chandeliers and hurricane lamps. The bar in this section is similarly dressed, with more wood paneling and an enormous, multitiered, gold-chain crystal chandelier. Adjacent to the Hurricane room are the semiprivate Cave Rooms, 20-seat spots with low ceilings bedecked with lattice-screen ceramic panels.
For private events, there's the Volcano Room, with 60 seats, where the walls are clad in glossy red lacquer and the wallpaper is designed after Polynesian tattoo patterns. A second area, the Bora Bora Black & White room, seats 32 or holds 40 for receptions.
Rounding out the tropical aesthetic is Koketsu’s menu of Pacific Rim fare, a selection that includes pupu platters, Hawaiian poke, and large-group luau options like roast suckling pig or whole crispy big island fish. There's also a menu of 35 specialty cocktails, created by pastry chef Richard Leach to complement an array of oversize desserts for sharing.