Bubble Lounge
If you think it’s hard to stay hip as a restaurant, try doing it as a late-night boîte. Then you’ll know why this champagne-minded spot’s sustained coolness is a major achievement. This place (pictured, right) is fun. It’s roomy and quirky, so by sampling a few of the red velvet sofas, you can develop your own seating plan (some groupings are noisier than others). Regroup here after dinner to decide if it is worth continuing on. Most likely you’ll simply sit tight.
Employees Only
The trend-minded crowd and handlebar mustaches on the staff might make this new West Village space feel gimmicky—but Employees Only takes cocktails very seriously. Mixologists mix up unique cocktails like the Ginger Smash (ginger root and cranberries mixed with gin and apple liqueur), and the kitchen serves a full, international menu. There’s also a fireplace and mahogany walls.
The Pen-Top Bar & Terrace
The top of the Peninsula hotel makes an indelible impression in the warmer months, when the 23rd floor terrace offers sweeping city vistas and highpriced cocktails. And the glass-enclosed indoor area means that one can still entertain and enjoy the view during winter. Go midday for unmatched skyscraper views from Midtown, or at night for a more subdued, starlit experience— either way, you’ll be drinking among a power broker-style crowd.
Stone Rose
Rande Gerber’s newest project is on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center. It features about 6,000 square feet—room for a total of about 300—with lots of leather seating, stone floors, and mirrored surfaces in red and bronze. The high-ceilinged main lounge area has 135 seats and windows that face Columbus Circle. Columns with leather details complement the long bar. There is also a private lounge with curved rosewood banquettes and mirrored walls.
World Bar
Now that the Donald is as hot as he’s ever been—his celebrity, that is—surely the World Bar on the ground floor of his Trump World Tower condo building has a special cachet. It features soaring 30-foot ceilings and a sleek, modern, mostly white look, and its cocktail menu features favorites from around the world. The space can accommodate 125 guests standing or 100 for a cocktail reception with buffet.
—Alesandra Dubin & Ted Kruckel
Photo: Julian Jourdes
Posted 05.31.05
This story originally appeared in the April/May 2005 issue of the BiZBash Event Style Reporter.
If you think it’s hard to stay hip as a restaurant, try doing it as a late-night boîte. Then you’ll know why this champagne-minded spot’s sustained coolness is a major achievement. This place (pictured, right) is fun. It’s roomy and quirky, so by sampling a few of the red velvet sofas, you can develop your own seating plan (some groupings are noisier than others). Regroup here after dinner to decide if it is worth continuing on. Most likely you’ll simply sit tight.
Employees Only
The trend-minded crowd and handlebar mustaches on the staff might make this new West Village space feel gimmicky—but Employees Only takes cocktails very seriously. Mixologists mix up unique cocktails like the Ginger Smash (ginger root and cranberries mixed with gin and apple liqueur), and the kitchen serves a full, international menu. There’s also a fireplace and mahogany walls.
The Pen-Top Bar & Terrace
The top of the Peninsula hotel makes an indelible impression in the warmer months, when the 23rd floor terrace offers sweeping city vistas and highpriced cocktails. And the glass-enclosed indoor area means that one can still entertain and enjoy the view during winter. Go midday for unmatched skyscraper views from Midtown, or at night for a more subdued, starlit experience— either way, you’ll be drinking among a power broker-style crowd.
Stone Rose
Rande Gerber’s newest project is on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center. It features about 6,000 square feet—room for a total of about 300—with lots of leather seating, stone floors, and mirrored surfaces in red and bronze. The high-ceilinged main lounge area has 135 seats and windows that face Columbus Circle. Columns with leather details complement the long bar. There is also a private lounge with curved rosewood banquettes and mirrored walls.
World Bar
Now that the Donald is as hot as he’s ever been—his celebrity, that is—surely the World Bar on the ground floor of his Trump World Tower condo building has a special cachet. It features soaring 30-foot ceilings and a sleek, modern, mostly white look, and its cocktail menu features favorites from around the world. The space can accommodate 125 guests standing or 100 for a cocktail reception with buffet.
—Alesandra Dubin & Ted Kruckel
Photo: Julian Jourdes
Posted 05.31.05
This story originally appeared in the April/May 2005 issue of the BiZBash Event Style Reporter.
Bubble Lounge
