Juni, the new restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Shaun Hergatt, opened in August at the Hotel Chandler in the Flatiron district. The 50-seat restaurant, which derives its name from the Latin word for "June," serves seasonal fare. Private dining is available for groups of eight or more, and buyouts are available. The hotel also has opened new meeting space with a boardroom for events and meetings for as many as 30 people. Hergatt has created a catering menu for events.
The Breslin Bar & Dining Room has redesigned Liberty Hall, the 2,500-square-foot event space located on the lower level of the Ace Hotel. A wall of artfully arranged vintage speakers lines one wall, while more modern audiovisual touches include lighting controls, a retractable screen, a Blu-Ray player, a video projector, and Wi-Fi. The space seats 120 guests and has a standing occupancy of 200. Two walls can move to create two or three rooms from the space. Chef April Bloomfield has also created new menus for the space.
The West Village hot spot SushiSamba 7 debuted a new design from architects Cetra Ruddy in August following a two-month renovation. The design concept features warm colors, a graffiti mural from Seb Gorey, and nature-inspired chandeliers by Canopy Designs. The two-level restaurant is available for buyout. The restaurant seats 87 in the main dining room and 32 in the downstairs bar and lounge. The venue also includes a 10-person sushi bar, an outdoor patio for 40 guests, and a rooftop garden open year-round that seats 80.
Merchants Hospitality and the Lure Group have opened a downtown beer garden, Clinton Hall. The indoor-outdoor space starts with a rustic bar room with glass doors that open to a courtyard with communal tables and benches. The bar features 20 beers and ciders on tap that are regulated with a flux capacitor to control the gas blend for each beer. The 4,000-square-foot space has 200 seats and is available for buyout.
Hilton Times Square finished a $15 million renovation in July, updating the 460 guest rooms with design touches including carpeting that evokes a bird's-eye view of the city's streets. The hotel's 5,500 square feet of event space can host events of 150 people. The hotel begins on the 21st floor of a Times Square skyscraper that also houses a 25-theater AMC Megaplex and Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
The newly opened sports bar and restaurant Suite 36 Restaurant & Sports Lounge offers amenities such as 42 TV screens, a 50-foot bar, and skylights that frame views of the Empire State Building. The entire 6,500-square-foot space can accommodate events of 300 people. The mezzanine level is available for events of 75 people. Semiprivate suites have climate control and personal TVs.
The Kitano hotel in Murray Hill has added two new meeting spaces. The Magnolia Room, an 18-person boardroom, is located on the mezzanine level, while the Cherry Blossom Room can host events for 60 people when combined with an adjacent lounge. The rooms offer views of Park Avenue and natural light. Other event spaces at the Japanese-owned hotel include a 14-person executive boardroom, a 1,400-square-foot penthouse with two terraces, and a Japanese-inspired tea room which offers hourly rental.
The Astoria location of 5 Napkin Burger recently opened a private events space. The restaurant has two party rooms: the larger space accommodates 35 people at rounds or 28 at a communal table, and the smaller room fits 24 people at rounds. The Burger Bash catering package offers family-style dining.
Goldenrod is a new beer-centric bar in Carroll Gardens that serves 40 American and international craft beers, 20 on tap and 20 by the bottle, as well as cocktails made with Brooklyn spirits. Opened in August, the venue was restored to evoke the 1890s with pressed tin ceilings and walls, dark wood, and an original bar counter. The bar's namesake is the main beer brand of the old Otto Huber Brewery, which operated a bar in 1893 in the space that later became P.J. Hanley’s and now is Goldenrod. The menu includes small plates, salads, Pat La Frieda blend burgers, and pies from South Brooklyn Pizza. Buyouts are available. The bar seats 40 and can host 150 for receptions. A beer garden outside seats 75 and can host 125 for receptions.
painted interiors." —Todd Fiscus
