Aquavit
After 17 years, Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit is still pulling in power players, but now in a new location in the Park Avenue Tower with classic modern furnishings. The private dining area, located behind the bar, seats 40, or holds 50 for cocktails. Its audiovsiual capabilities and Internet access help explain why pharmaceutical companies, investment banks, and law firms have already come by for business dinners.
Bond Street
Some places maintain their edge long after the famous faces leave, and this is one of them. Proven hipster-hangout creator Jonathan Morr opened this sushi-plus-a-whole-lot-more emporium in an East Village townhouse in the 90’s, and it still works. A 40-person room with a sunken table where you can take your shoes off seems perfectly scaled to size, meaning it’s one of the few private dining areas that is roomy. Or take the whole second floor for as many as 85 people.
5 Ninth
Although 5 Ninth is just down the street from meatpacking district standouts Pastis and Spice Market, its discrete wooden door and relatively small size set it apart. Chef Zak Pelaccio serves Asian-inspired cuisine—with an emphasis on pork (choose someplace else for vegetarians). Named for its address, the venue is a restored brownstone with a backyard garden and a reservations-only private lounge.
Le Bernardin
Among the charms of chef Eric Ripert’s French seafood restaurant is Les Salons Bernardin, a private room with its own entrance, kitchen, restrooms, and coat check. The space is enclosed in etched glass with wood-coffered maple ceilings, and can seat as many as 90 guests—or you can divide it into three separate rooms for as few as 10. The private space is equipped with Internet videoconferencing connectivity and a built-in motorized screen for presentations.
Patroon
Bloomberg’s smoking ban has done nothing to diminish the appeal of the private dining experience at Patroon. They kept the Spanish cedar-paneled humidor room, and super-filtered air is pumped into these baronial retreats. We suggest taking two rooms, one with clubby chairs for relaxing before and after dinner, and a separate dining room for 20. And when summer rolls around, combine the place’s signature luxury and professionalism with the more casual open-air deck.
—Ted Kruckel, Anna Sekula & Alesandra Dubin
Photo: Eric Laignel (Aquavit)
Posted 05.31.05
After 17 years, Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit is still pulling in power players, but now in a new location in the Park Avenue Tower with classic modern furnishings. The private dining area, located behind the bar, seats 40, or holds 50 for cocktails. Its audiovsiual capabilities and Internet access help explain why pharmaceutical companies, investment banks, and law firms have already come by for business dinners.
Bond Street
Some places maintain their edge long after the famous faces leave, and this is one of them. Proven hipster-hangout creator Jonathan Morr opened this sushi-plus-a-whole-lot-more emporium in an East Village townhouse in the 90’s, and it still works. A 40-person room with a sunken table where you can take your shoes off seems perfectly scaled to size, meaning it’s one of the few private dining areas that is roomy. Or take the whole second floor for as many as 85 people.
5 Ninth
Although 5 Ninth is just down the street from meatpacking district standouts Pastis and Spice Market, its discrete wooden door and relatively small size set it apart. Chef Zak Pelaccio serves Asian-inspired cuisine—with an emphasis on pork (choose someplace else for vegetarians). Named for its address, the venue is a restored brownstone with a backyard garden and a reservations-only private lounge.
Le Bernardin
Among the charms of chef Eric Ripert’s French seafood restaurant is Les Salons Bernardin, a private room with its own entrance, kitchen, restrooms, and coat check. The space is enclosed in etched glass with wood-coffered maple ceilings, and can seat as many as 90 guests—or you can divide it into three separate rooms for as few as 10. The private space is equipped with Internet videoconferencing connectivity and a built-in motorized screen for presentations.
Patroon
Bloomberg’s smoking ban has done nothing to diminish the appeal of the private dining experience at Patroon. They kept the Spanish cedar-paneled humidor room, and super-filtered air is pumped into these baronial retreats. We suggest taking two rooms, one with clubby chairs for relaxing before and after dinner, and a separate dining room for 20. And when summer rolls around, combine the place’s signature luxury and professionalism with the more casual open-air deck.
—Ted Kruckel, Anna Sekula & Alesandra Dubin
Photo: Eric Laignel (Aquavit)
Posted 05.31.05