Here's a look at new New York eateries, bars, hotels, conference spaces, private rooms, and other venues available for events this spring. The new and renovated New York event spaces are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
2. Dear Irving on Hudson
With 360-degree Midtown views from its perch atop the Aliz Hotel Times Square, the cocktail lounge Dear Irving on Hudson opened in January. A new outpost of Dear Irving on Irving Place from Yves Jadot Restaurant Group, the bar is situated on the 40th and 41st floors of the hotel and offers views of the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, and the George Washington Bridge from full-length windows and terraces. The two floors reflect different design influences, with 1960s-era James Bond on the 40th floor and the Art Deco period on the 41st. Overall, the bar holds about 250 guests: 150 standing on the 40th floor and 100 standing on the 41st floor. Each floor can be sectioned off for smaller events. Bar director Meaghan Dorman created two cocktail menus: Ode to The Empire State features New York-made spirits, while Tried & True offers favorites such as a Gibson martini and a boulevardier. The hotel's ground floor Aliz Room is also available for events; it seats 80 or holds 100 for receptions.
Photo: Noah Fecks
1. Times Square Edition
The 452-room Times Square Edition, developed by Ian Schrager with Marriott, officially opens on March 12. Overlooking Times Square, the property offers a sophisticated respite from the sensory overload of its location with public spaces that are clean, blank, and light. A notable new space is a 5,000-square-foot cabaret-style theater, Paradise Club, where the hotel will program entertainment. It houses a full production studio and control center that has the capability to broadcast around the world or, in true Times Square style, to a Jumbotron on the building's exterior. The hotel's fine-dining restaurant, 701 West, comes from Michelin-starred chef John Fraser and serves dishes with a variety of influences, including some prepared on a charcoal grill. There's also a 5,800-square-foot beer garden and event deck, and a 1,900-square-foot meeting studio.
Photo: Courtesy of Times Square Edition
3. Location05
A blank space for events, Location05 opened in October in the garment district. The seventh-floor space boasts 16-foot ceilings, natural light, and amenities including Wi-Fi, a built-in bar, a sound system, and a kitchenette. The venue measures a total of 10,000 square feet and overall holds 300 theater style or for receptions. It can also be divided into two spaces: The Lofts span 5,000 square feet and hold 300 people, while the Studios covers 3,000 square feet and holds 150 people.
Photo: Courtesy of Location05
4. The Ribbon Midtown
A new Times Square location of the Upper West Side staple the Ribbon opened in late January. The Ribbon Midtown, from chefs and restaurateurs Bruce and Eric Bromberg of Blue Ribbon Restaurants, serves the group's famed fried chicken with honey along with an array of steaks, salads, and burgers and nearly 100 whiskeys and bourbons. The venue's vintage decor includes boxing memorabilia, first-edition books, and the original building’s Times Annex signage. The multi-level space includes a first-floor bar; the second floor is home to the main dining room, a raw bar, and a private dining room called the Boxer Room, which seats 20. Two semiprivate dining spaces seat 40 and 50 guests, respectively. Overall, the restaurant holds about 300 guests.
Photo: Oleg March
5. Moxy Chelsea
A new location of Marriott's millennial-targeted Moxy opened in Chelsea in February. The 349-room Moxy Chelsea plays off of the hotel's flower district location with a modern botanical design from Yabu Pushelberg, Rockwell Group, and architects Stonehill Taylor. The property has more than 10,000 square feet of event space, which includes Italian eatery Feroce Ristorante, Feroce Caffè, and Bar Feroce from TAO Group, as well as greenhouse-style atrium the Conservatory, which transitions to a cocktail lounge at night. There's also the 35th floor Fleur Room rooftop lounge—which includes a DJ booth and dedicated high-speed elevator access, as well as a life-size Roman statue perfectly poised to take a selfie—and the 32nd floor Mondo Suite, which is suited for entertaining and has views of the Empire State Building. Two small meeting spaces on the second floor—one that seats 15 guests in a boardroom configuration and the other seats 30—can transition to social spaces.
Photo: Courtesy of Moxy Chelsea
6. Empellón Al Pastor
Chef Alex Stupak has opened a second location of Empellón Al Pastor in the Pod 39 Hotel in Murray Hill. The restaurant, which opened in January, follows the original East Village eatery and has a Mexican-inflected menu of global bar eats including several varieties of tacos, lobster rangoon, broiled oysters with hoja santa and bacon, and curly fries with tomatillo ketchup, along with a drink menu highlighted by a variety of margaritas. The casual 6,000-square-foot-space seats 115 or holds 200 for receptions. A private dining room seats 16 or holds 25 for cocktails. A 17th-floor rooftop bar is slated to open in the spring.
Photo: Evan Sung
7. The Williamsburg Hotel
For cocktails with a view of the Manhattan skyline, there's the Water Tower, a cocktail lounge and nightclub at the Williamsburg Hotel in Brooklyn. Built by the hotel in a nod to the city's old-style water towers, the circular space soars above the rooftop pool deck and offers views from its floor-to-ceiling windows. The stylish space features velvet and leather couches and chairs, wide-plank wooden floors, and brass finishes; it seats 50 or holds 80 for a reception. The venue opened in late 2018. Other spaces in the 150-room hotel include the 6,500-square-foot Ballroom, which seats 400 guests or holds 700 for receptions; the 105-seat New American concept the Restaurant; the Rooftop & Pool, a seasonal space with views of Manhattan; the Library Bar, which holds as many as 120 guests; and the Lobby Bar.
Photo: Courtesy of The Williamsburg Hotel
8. Marriott Courtyard New York Midtown West
Set to open in late spring, Marriott Courtyard New York Midtown West is a 399-room hotel near the Hudson Yards development. The newly built property will have four event spaces totaling 1,700 square feet. The largest room, called Endeavor, seats about 70 theater style or 65 for receptions and can be divided for smaller meetings. There's also prefunction space and a 12-seat boardroom. Meeting spaces come with tech amenities such as 80-inch touch-board televisions, touch-screen command panels, and a panoramic 4K video conference camera.
Rendering: Courtesy of Marriott Courtyard New York Midtown West
9. Merrion Row Hotel and Public House
Merrion Row Hotel and Public House, a 28-room boutique hotel in Midtown, opened in December. Located in a Beaux-Arts building, the property has design from Meyer Davis Studio that evokes contemporary Irish hospitality. The Public House, a first-floor pub, serves upscale Irish and American fare and is available for buyouts. The hotel is suited for small events and has four private rooms that are named for the four provinces of Ireland. Each seats about 10 guests in a boardroom configuration and can be combined.
Photo: Courtesy of Merrion Row Hotel and Public House
10. Gupshup
Indian restaurant and cocktail bar GupShup—the name means chit-chat in Hindi—opened in late 2018 in Gramercy. The bi-level venue combines old Bombay with new India through its design and menu, which is helmed by executive chef Gurpreet Singh. The menu includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, and its bar program includes drinks such as Kolkata Calling, made with lemon, honey, Jameson Caskmates IPA Edit, absinthe, and cinnamon, and for brunch, mango chili lassis. The restaurant is available for private events, including buyouts of 200. It holds 80 on the main floor, 100 upstairs, and 15 in a private dining room.
Photo: Courtesy of Gupshup
