10 New Venues in New York for Spring 2020 Meetings and Events

Brooklyn's latest hotspot is Le Crocodile at Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg. The brasserie serves the familiar—steak au poivre and escargots with parsley and Pernod—along with the more ambitious, like a pork chop with kale, anchovies, and burrata and a frisée salad studded with smoked eel instead of lardons. The restaurant, which opened in December, seats 100 people in a space with burgundy leather booths, a marble bar, and exposed brick walls original to the 120-year-old factory building. Le Crocodile provides catering for all of the hotel's venues, which include the 2,100-square-foot Main Hall that seats 140 for dinners or holds 250 for receptions. It can be combined with the Garden Terrace to seat 200 for dinners or cocktails. Another unique space at the hotel is the screening room and bar, which seats 70 guests in a theater setup for screenings or presentations and has a private entrance.

Chef Charlie Palmer has changed the concept of his Charlie Palmer Steak New York to Ava Social by Charlie Palmer. With a late February opening in the Archer Hotel in the garment district, the ground-floor restaurant and lounge features a dramatic lighting fixture above the bar consisting of 100 pendants. Velvet couches and draperies, quartz countertops, and painted brick create a warm atmosphere. The menu pulls from a variety of cuisines with dishes like shishito peppers, avocado fries, fried chicken sliders, and grilled skewers of steak, lamb kefta, fried chicken, and jalapeño poppers. For buyouts, the space holds 150 for cocktails; mixology classes are available for groups.

Providing a new vantage of New York City is Edge, the 1,100-foot-high observatory from Related Companies on the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards that opened on March 11. Promoted as the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, the venue provides 360-degree views of the skyline. In addition to the 7,500-square-foot outdoor viewing area, the 101st floor will be home to Peak, a restaurant, bar, café, and event space from London-based Rhubarb Hospitality Group.

Concert venue and urban winemaker City Winery moves to Pier 57 this year after more than 10 years at its flagship location on Varick Street. Opening in April along the Hudson River at 15th Street, the venue will be able to hold as many as 1,100 guests total. The largest space, the Main Venue, measures 5,000 square feet and holds 400 guests for a reception or seats 250 banquet style. The venue also boasts a built-in stage, two bars, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hudson. Upstairs, the mezzanine and loft spaces combined (shown here) hold 400 for receptions or 150 for banquet-style events. The venue has three private dining rooms that hold as many as 40 guests each.

French restaurant Loulou Petit Bistro & Speakeasy made its debut in Chelsea in March, offering a modern-meets-rustic dining room that seats 70, and design elements such as exposed brick, hardwood floors, leather booths, and hanging plants. Take note: The bar area has an additional 20 seats, while the lower-level speakeasy with live music holds as many as 80 people. The classic menu offers dishes like baked camembert, several flatbreads, steak frites, and whole grilled branzino, in addition to a brunch menu and curated cocktail list.

New to Hudson Yards is Peloton Studios New York, a $50 million production facility where the boutique fitness brand will offer classes that are broadcast to members worldwide. While not available as a private event venue, the 35,000-square-foot facility is suited for sweatworking or teambuilding sessions in one of four studios: cycling, yoga and meditation, running, and a flexible studio where Peloton will test new fitness trends. The multi-level venue also has locker rooms with Malin & Goetz skincare products, two member lounges, a food and beverage area, and a retail store.

Kimpton Hotel Eventi put the final touches on a refresh of its meeting and event space in March, adding new light fixtures, drapes, hand-dyed carpets, and reupholstered furniture across the nearly 20,500 square feet of space on the third and fourth floors. The Reza Nouranian-designed space features light and neutral tones that create continuity from the look of the Chelsea hotel’s lobby.

Chef Peter Beck—who earned restaurant Tamarind a Michelin star while he was executive chef—is now helming new Indian restaurant Paisley, which opened in early February in Tribeca. The 70-seat dining room is decorated with rich blues and golds and boasts a wraparound bar made from 150-year-old reclaimed wood. The menu includes a selection of homemade plain and seasoned naan breads along with dishes such as dhingri paneer, Chilean sea bass, and a number of classic curry dishes. There are also multiple vegan options.

Pestana Park Avenue, the first New York location of the Portugese hospitality brand, opened in February near Grand Central Terminal. The 95-room hotel is located in a 28-story, new-build property and includes several rooms with balconies that offer views of icons like the Empire State Building. There is a 24-hour grab-and-go market on the ground floor with seating and an adjacent patio that features an installation of Portugese tile. Though the hotel does not have its own meeting space, its team coordinates with nearby Convene at 237 Park Avenue.

Beer haven Pretty Ricky's opened on the Lower East Side in January, marking the fifth restaurant from Paradise Hospitality Group. A comfortable neighborhood hangout with wood floors and a bright-blue painted ceiling, the venue has booths and tables in the front as well as a second bar in the back area. The bar features a global selection of 20 beers on tap, a reserve list that includes a $90 pint of Brut Des Flandres, and a cocktail list to boot. The food menu ranges from small plates like southern-boiled peanuts and cacio e pepe caesar salad to mussels, portobello patty melts, and a porterhouse steak for two. Overall, the venue holds 240 guests and is available for buyouts.