Holiday season is quickly approaching, and if you have a party to book, you’d better reach out and make a reservation. Despite all of the coupon-cutting and belt-tightening this year, New Yorkers will be hard-pressed to give up the luxury of a good private party. After all, what’s the point of living and working in the glitziest city on earth if you can’t dress to the nines, gorge on hors d’oeuvres, and make a fool of yourself on too much champagne? Here are some new hotspots ready to help you tie one on:
Pranna
79 Madison Ave. (28th & 29th Sts.)
Flatiron 212.696.5700
With more than 15,000 square feet to work with, you can bet this new Indian/Southeast Asian restaurant has room for your group (capacity up to 1,000). Open and airy spaces on three levels are decked out in natural tones with modern lines, living up to Pranna’s “breath of life” motto. Whether you need your own private dining room, a semi-private satay lounge, or a curtained hideaway in the romantic wine cellar, Pranna’s oozing with options.
BEast @ Broadway East
171 E. Broadway (Jefferson & Rutgers Sts.)
Chinatown 212.228.3100
Need a party spot for your tofu-eating friends that won’t reek of patchouli? Below the 80-seat dining room at this mostly vegetarian, absolutely stunning restaurant, lies BEast, a cocktail lounge ready to serve all of your organic drinking and nibbling needs. Bordered by a dramatic, two-story wall of living plants, the space is best for intimate gatherings since it holds about 60 at most. DJs are on deck Thursdays-Saturdays, and video screenings can be accommodated as well.
Lucky Strike Lanes
624-660 W. 42nd St. (@ 12th Ave.)
Hell's Kitchen 877.893.8259
At NYC’s newest high-end bowling alley, you can book parties for groups as small as eight or if you’re rolling with 80, rent out the sleek “luxe lounge” complete with four lanes, white leather sofas, a movie screen, and bottle service. Bowling is always a good bet when hosting a party for both borderline alkies and those who prefer to stay sober—the only peer pressure is to get a high score.
Ella
9 Ave. A (Houston & 2nd Sts.)
East Village 212.777.2230
If your event calls for Hollywood glam, Ella’s got your sequined back. A striking black, white, and red décor by Carleton Varney (designer of the Hotel Carlyle) sets the mood for a sexy and sophisticated experience. Small groups can reserve one of the large red booths upstairs, or if you have a group of 40, opt for the piano bar downstairs so your party can get its jitterbug on.
M by Megu
62 Thomas St. (Church St. & W. Broadway)
TriBeCa 212.964.7777
Throwing a bash that calls for a seductive, backstage-at-a-rock-show vibe? This post-dinner, pre-latenight lounge above the swanky dining room at Megu is VJ-approved. Not only did former MTV Japan and BET VJ Mami Shirakawa help with the décor—motorcycle parts, modern artwork, and more room for dancing—she books the DJs too. With capacity for up to 120 people, M is perfect for sipping shochu or champagne cocktails, or if you’re looking to impress, bottle service is done Japanese tea ceremony style. Take note that the waitresses here are outfitted in swimsuits, so you might not want to invite your pervy, obnoxious friend.
Clover Club
210 Smith St. (Baltic & Butler Sts.)
Carroll Gardens 718.855.7939
Classic, pre-Prohibition style drinks are the focus at this wood-paneled, antique dream of a bar, making Clover Club ideal for events for all ages (over 21, of course). Elevated, semicircular booths facing the bar will fit small groups, but if you have the numbers, reserve the party room in the rear and you’ll have a swinging scene in no time. Your guests can cozy up by the fireplace and sip from bowls of punch while ragtime piano and Billie Holiday ring out on the speakers. Plus, nothing says anti-frat party like a bartender sporting a vest and tie.
Still can't decide? We don't go out every night for nothing, you know. Shecky's nightlife experts have compiled our encyclopedic knowledge of the NYC bar scene into one handy party-planning tool,
Shecky's Party Aid. Check it out and let someone else do the thinking for you—even before you have those drinks.
~ Selena Ricks
