BizBash Best 2020 - 121

new york

on the Scene
photos: Courtesy of wIllIamsBurg hotel,tanya Blum photo (hutong), nICole franzen (museum of ICe Cream)

photos: Courtesy of empIre state realty trust (empIre state BuIldIng), davId mItChell (twa hotel), mark doyle (summerstage at rumsey playfIeld)

Make your guests feel like they're on the A-list at these hot spots.
The 452-room Times Square Edition, developed by
Ian Schrager with Marriott, opened in March 2019.
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-squarefoot cabaret-style theater, Paradise Club, where
the hotel programs 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.
(701 7th Ave., editionhotels.com)
For cocktails with a view of the Manhattan
skyline, there's the Water Tower, a cocktail lounge
and nightclub at the 1 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. (96 Wythe Ave.,
thewilliamsburghotel.com)
A new incarnation of the hot spot Pastis
opened in June 2019 in the meatpacking district
from original owner Keith McNally and restaurateur Stephen Starr. Design elements from the original-open from 1999 to 2014-have carried over to
the new space and include a curved zinc bar, white
subway tiles, a mosaic floor, and more. The vibe is
quintessential French bistro, as is the menu, which
features Niçoise salad, steak frites, roasted chicken,
and desserts including profiteroles and baba au
rhum. The restaurant seats 180 and has room for
30 on a patio. (52 Gansevoort St., pastisnyc.com)
The Midtown East space that once housed Le
Cirque is now 2 Hutong, an upscale Northern
Chinese restaurant and bar. It's the first U.S.
restaurant for Hong Kong-Based Aqua Restaurant
Group and offers a menu with dim sum including Wagyu beef millefeuille and lobster squid-ink
dumplings, rice and noodle dishes, and roasted
Peking duck carved tableside. The glamorous Art
Deco space covers 19,000 square feet across two
floors. The second-floor private dining rooms-
reached via a spiral black-and-white marble
staircase-can be used individually to seat 10 to 16
guests or combined to hold 52 seated or 110 standing guests. For buyouts, the space holds 500 guests
for reception-style events. (731 Lexington Ave.,
hutong-nyc.com)

Sweet Repeats
Indulge at these venues that
specialize in picture-perfect desserts.

Evolving from its start as a wildly successful
pop-up, the 1 Museum of Ice Cream now exists
in permanent form in Soho. Opened in December
2019, the new location is an Instagram playground
with bold, mostly pink design and lightly interactive
exhibits. After walking through a retail store and
scoop shop, the self-guided experience begins with
guests choosing an "ice cream name" and then
exploring exhibits that riff on banana splits, sprinkles, honey, cones, and even a New York subway
car. Private events are available, as are group rates.
For buyouts, the venue holds more than 50 guests.
Groups also can book a Morning Swim, which
offers full private access to the Sprinkle Pool for 40
guests. (558 Broadway, museumoficecream.com)
Known for its decadently garnished (and
Instagram-beloved) milkshakes, Black Tap has
expanded its empire with a location in Herald Square.
Its CrazyShake milkshakes lineup includes confec-

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tions like the Bam Bam Shake: a Fruity Pebbles
shake with a vanilla-frosted rim crusted with fruity
pebbles and topped with a Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispy
treat, strawberry Pop Tart, Laffy Taffy, whipped cream,
and a cherry. Aside from its treats, the venue serves
burgers, wings, sandwiches, salads, and other snacks.
For private events, the Lot 15 space that seats 70 or
holds 150 for receptions, and the Cassette Room
(with a mosaic of cassette tapes and a neon-lightaccented boom box on the walls) seats 36 or holds
55 standing. A full buyout seats 170 seated or holds
240 for receptions. (45 West 35th St., blacktap.com)
For a sweet event, Marble Dessert Bar opened
in September 2019 in the West Village. The 14-seat
dessert bar from chefs and owners Mauro Pompili
and Maya Sittisuntorn offers treats like lemon
blueberry tarts and pistachio croissants during the
day, then shifts to a four-course, prix-fixe dessert
menu during the evening. It includes an amuse
bouche, a main dessert, a palate cleanser, and three
petit-fours, with an optional wine pairing. The
sophisticated simplicity of desserts like chocolate
with sea salt and soba cha foam is matched in the
design, with a marble bar top and copper light
fixtures. (27 Bedford St., mmarbledessertbar.com)

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http://www.thewilliamsburghotel.com http://www.pastisnyc.com http://www.editionhotels.com http://www.hutong-nyc.com http://www.blacktap.com http://www.museumoficecream.com http://www.mmarbledessertbar.com http://www.bizbash.com

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