10 New Venues in New York for Fall Meetings and Events

Set to debut in September, the 612-room Moxy NYC Times Square will feature 22,000 square feet of event space. Function areas will include a 10,000-square-foot, all-season, indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge, plus three 270-square-foot meeting rooms, a private dining room, and multipurpose "plug and play" lounge spaces with moveable and interactive seating. The urban amusement park-theme rooftop will provide a DJ, views of the Empire State Building, carousel-style seating, a topiary garden, a putt-putt golf course, multiple bar and seating areas, and light food including sausage and peppers, Maine lobster roll, duck carnitas tacos, and hamburgers. Tao Group’s five eating and drinking destinations at Moxy will include a seafood brasserie, an all-day breakfast spot, a communal lobby bar, a grab-and-go concept, and the rooftop bar and lounge.

Continuing its revamp of the former Four Seasons restaurant, Major Food Group debuted the Pool in July. Formerly the Pool Room, the new concept features a seafood-centric menu from chef/partner Rich Torrisi that includes caviar service, whole fish based on market availability, and unusual surf and turf combinations such as rack of lamb with a Maine scallop. Decor also was inspired by the sea, with a palette of blues and pearlescent hues, and the custom tableware takes a more literal approach with appetizer plates from Japanese ceramics-maker Nikko that are hand-painted with sea creatures. The restaurant seats 180 or holds 350 for receptions. The Pool Lounge, formerly a private dining room, holds 125 for receptions. Combined, the spaces accommodate 265 seated or 400 standing. The concepts join the Grill, which opened in May with a meat-heavy menu from chef/partner Mario Carbone.

Courting tech-savvy groups, VR World opened in Midtown in June. Spread across 20,000 square feet, the spot features more than 50 curated pieces spanning multiple genres. Massive screens display the experiences and content viewers see inside the headsets, and there is seating throughout the space for spectators. Guides all have theater and social work backgrounds, giving them a sensitivity to guests' body language, comfort levels, and engagement. The space holds as many as 500 people and has three areas: a 10,000-square-foot first floor, a 3,000-square-foot mezzanine, and a 7,000-square-foot second floor.

Located in the hip Dumbo section of Brooklyn, the latest outpost of the Italian eatery opened in June at the newly renovated Empire Stores building, which originally was a Civil War-era warehouse for coffee storage. Designed by the 240-seat restaurant’s owner, Soho House & Co., Cecconi's Dumbo blends classic Venetian elements with industrial characteristics. It includes a large eat-in bar with a wood-burning oven, a main dining room, and a patio, all with views of the Brooklyn Bridge, East River, and downtown Manhattan. Only full buyouts are available; the restaurant accommodates 200 seated—including as many as 40 in a private dining room—or 300 standing. Executive chef Riccardo Bilotta worked alongside Soho House’s executive chef Andrea Cavalerie to create a menu with a variety of Italian tapas, seasonal vegetables and salads, house-made pastas, and pizzas. Main dishes include a selection of meat, fish, and vegetarian options, all prepared in a wood-burning oven or charcoal grill. 

Designed by Peter Poon Architects, Luma Hotel Times Square opened in May. It features 130 rooms with a minimalist design and floor-to-ceiling windows, and a new restaurant concept from Iron Chef and James Beard award-winner Jose Garces, called Ortzi. Serving as the hotel’s meeting space, the Basque-inspired tapas eatery seats 50 and has a chef’s table for another eight guests. There also is an adjacent bar that serves up signature cocktails and a robust wine program, along with bar and café-style seating.

Adjacent to Madison Square Garden, the Pennsy Food Hall completed an extensive renovation in July. Operated by HPH—the company behind Pier A, Dead Rabbit, and other spaces around the city—the venue now includes an oversize bar and a patio that features a beer garden and holds 350 seated or 500 standing. Additionally, several new concepts have been introduced. Ribalta has debuted a new fine-casual concept, Ribalta Mo’, serving personal sized pizzas; Taco Dumbo at the Pennsy is offering a health-conscious, Southern California take on Mexican cuisine and cold-pressed margaritas; and new vendor Sabi Sushi provides sushi, noodles, and dumplings. Returning vendor Pat LaFrieda has added short rib plate, brisket plate, and mushroom risotto to its offerings while Little Beet revamped its menu.

Celebrity chef Cat Cora entered the New York fray in June when she opened Fatbird Southern Kitchen & Bar in the meatpacking district. The 145-seat eatery, which includes 45 seats outdoors, serves Southern comfort food such as “fat” biscuits, Nashville Hot Chicken, and Grandma's Bourbon Sticky Bread Pudding. Dixie-inspired cocktails served in mason jar-inspired glasses include the Southern Belle Whiskey Sour, Huntsville Happy Juice, and more. The restaurant accommodates small parties as well as buyouts for as many as 100 guests.

A brewery and restaurant that serves house-made brews, wood-burning pizzas, shareable grilled meat, vegetable plates, and other seasonal fare, Circa Brewing Co. opened in downtown Brooklyn in July. Ground-faced concrete units, cast glass block, steel, and rough-sawn wood were used in the design of the 6,000-square-foot venue by Brooklyn-based architecture firm Greg Yang Design and owner Gerry Rooney, taking inspiration from Brooklyn’s industrial manufacturing facilities and the elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Circa offers three spaces for events: the Tasting Room, with seating for 25; the Brewer’s Room for 18 guests; and the Chef’s Table, which can seat parties of 10. Circa also holds semiprivate events for as many as 150 guests, or full buyouts for 250.

A casual sister to restaurateur Paolo Alavian’s Altesi Madison opened in July in Soho. Altesi Downtown serves seasonal Italian antipasti, pasta, and entrees, along with wood-fired oval-shaped pizzas. Taking over the space held by Savore, a 22-year-old eatery by the same owner that closed earlier this year, the redesigned room features two dining areas, including a rear dining room with a wall of wine, as well as a small bar and custom-designed furnishings from Europe. The front mezzanine seats 30, the rear seats 55, and the outdoor area seats 22. The restaurant can accommodate as many as 125 for cocktail receptions.

Also at the Empire Stores building, the 11,000-square-foot Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill is set to open in late August. The concept, which has locations in Las Vegas and Miami, serves small plates as well as offerings from its namesake raw bar and an open-fire grill. Vintage-inspired decor will complement the character of the space, which has a patio adjacent to Brooklyn Bridge Park that seats 100 or holds 175 for receptions, a main dining room that seats 150 or holds 300 for receptions, a communal chef’s table that seats 24, and a bar and lounge area that holds about 50 guests standing. The venue is overseen by executive chef/partner Timon Balloo.