Two More UK Members Clubs Coming to New York

For years Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. has been the premier law firm representing private members clubs in New York City. From Soho House which came to Ninth Avenue twenty-three years ago, to The Twenty Two which opened on 16th Street last year, we have guided the most exclusive and sought after members clubs through the liquor license process. Other clubs we have been proud to work with include Zero Bond, Casa Cipriani, San Vicente Buglalows, The Ned, Chez Margaux, Moss, Casa Tua, Fly Fish Club, ZZ’s, Seven23 at the Gansevoort Hotel, The Wing, Nexus, Maxwell Social, Aman, among others.
Two other big names are going to join the field. Maison Estelle, which operates a members club in an exquisite Georgian townhouse in the Mayfair section of London will be taking over the former Limelight building at Sixth Avenue and 20th Street. That group also operates Estelle Manor and another members club, Celeste in Notting Hill. Also crossing the pond and coming to 675 Hudson Street will be Annabel’s, one of the world’s most celebrated members clubs. First opened at Berkeley Square in London in 1963, it was owned by the Birley family until 2007 and was named after the founder’s wife. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to continue in its tradition of being the go-to firm for private members clubs in New York, and is proud to join the Estelle and Annabel’s teams.

Boucherie to Take Former Milling Room Space

The space at 446 Columbus Avenue, formerly The Milling Room for a dozen years, is being taken over by The Group which will open its fifth Boucherie in New York City. The Milling Room was evicted earlier this year for non-payment of rent. Boucherie, which operates restaurants in Manhattan, Chicago, Washington DC and Miami is a traditional French restaurant that celebrates good food and joie de vivre by combining a blend of a steakhousoe and a refined Parisian brasserie. Boucherie will also be taking over the former Starbucks space at 444 Columbus, and combining the two spaces to create a 283 restaurant, one of the largest on the Upper West Side. The space has been a restaurant since at least the 1990’s, when it was Main Street and then Callo Ocho. In addition to Boucherie, The Group also owns and operates Olio e Piu, an Italian trattoria with three locations in Manhattan, and outposts in Chicago and D.C. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. assisted Boucherie with its lease and liquor license, and is proud to be part of the Boucherie team.

Marcel

Marcel is a new restaurant inside Sotheby’s headquarters at 945 Madison Avenue, in the iconic Breuer building (the restaurant is named for Marcel Breuer, who designed the building in 1966), former home of the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Frick Collection. Sarabeth’s formerly operated the café there. Sotheby’s took over the building in 2024 and has partnered with the design team of Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch of Roman and Williams, who own La Mercerie at 53 Howard Street. Included among their other design projects are Le Coucou, Upland, Lafayette, and The Dutch. Chef-partner Marie-Aude Rose designed a continental menu with a French emphasis. Marcel is set to open in mid-April. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be part of the Marcel team.

Moss – Manhattan’s Newest Members Club

Moss, the newest private members club in New York has arrived, covering five floors at 520 Fifth Avenue near Bryant Park. The club seeks to attract members in pursuit of “intelligent leisure and physical culture.” The space includes a restaurant with piano lounge, library bar, sports courts, a recording studio, and an aquatics center with a sauna and cold plunge, among other amenities. Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality will be its food and beverage partner. The building at 520 Fifth is a 1,000-foot tower with over twenty floors of office space and more than 30 floors of luxury condominium residences. Moss is operated by sisters Colleen and Hailey Brooks, and the building was developed by Rabina Properties. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Moss and Rabina team.

Ryan Bartlow’s Bartolo

Chef Ryan Bartlow, owner of Ernesto’s on East Broadway with its Basque style cuisine, has brought his hearty Spanish cooking to East 4th Street with the opening this summer of Bartolo. He co-owns Bartolo with his wife Davitta Niakani, and her sister Alexandra Niakani in what feels like a secret hideout with a cozy front bar and two intimate dining areas. Chef Bartlow has created delectable dishes such Anchoa y Mantequilla, Bacalao Rebozado, and Chuletilla de Cordero. They also offer specialty cocktails like Butano Afortunado, Refresco Julieta. The décor is heartwarming and the Niakani sisters are welcoming in this new West Village gem. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be part of the Bartolo team!

Swiss Butter Signs Lease in New York

Calling themselves your “friendly neighborhood steakhouse,” Swiss Butter just signed a lease for a 3,500 square foot store at 241 West 52nd Street in Manhattan, its first outpost in the U.S. Its menu is based on simplicity, offering steak, chicken or salmon drenched in its secret butter-based sauce made with 33 carefully guarded ingredients. Founded by restauranteur Eddy Massaad in 2017 in Beruit, Swiss Butter now has restaurants in Dubai, Riyadh and other cities in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Madrid and London, for a total of 15 locations. None are franchised. The West 52nd Street location is expected to be just the first in New York with a plan to expand to other cities in the U.S. as well. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. assisted with the lease transaction and is proud to be part of the Swiss Butter team.

Babbo Acquired by Starr Restaurant Group

Babbo, one of New York’s most iconic Italian restaurants at 110 Waverly Place, has been acquired by Stephen Starr and Starr Restaurant Group. Michelin-starred Del Posto’s former chef Mark Ladner has been hired to run the kitchen. Babbo made a splash when it was opened in 1998 by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. Batali left the business in 2017. Starr Restaurant Group’s New York restaurants include Buddakan, Upland, Pastis, Le Coucou and others. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be a part of the Babbo and Starr Restaurant Group team.

Kith Ivy

Kith Ivy at 120 Leroy Street in Manhattan is opening its members only club featuring a restaurant, Café Mogador, three rooftop full-sized padel courts, the first Erewhon tonic bar location outside of Los Angeles, a Giorgio Armani designed full-service spa, and a 1,500 square foot gym. The spa will include a jacuzzi, hammam, sauna, steam rooms and cold plunge. Kith CEO Ronnie Fieg has partnered with Midtown Equities and the Cayre family in launching the club. The project faced stiff opposition by Manhattan Community Board 2 and local residents but was approved for a liquor license in August. Bernstein, Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be part of the Kith Ivy team.

Life Time Fitness

Life Time has continued expanding fitness clubs in New York with a 37,000 square foot athletic facility in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn opened last year. The Brooklyn club is in a 51-story tower at Brooklyn Crossing on Atlantic Avenue and occupies three floors. It includes a café offering food, as Lifetime says, “for health and happiness.”  The Brooklyn location opened shortly after Life Time also unveiled its club at One Penn Plaza in Manhattan, which includes a swimming pool in its offerings to members.  These outposts are in addition to the Life Time clubs at One Wall Street, and West 42nd St. All of these clubs have food and beverage offerings in addition to the fitness and athletic facilities. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be part of the Life Time team.

San Vicente West Village

Manhattan’s newest and long-awaited private members club, San Vicente West Village, is now open in the former Jane Hotel at 119 Jane Street in Manhattan. The 1908 building, originally a sailors’ home and which housed survivor’s of the Titanic in 1912, was reconfigured by English designer Rose Uniacke with a roof terrace and café in a turret overlooking the Hudson. The club also has a screening room, sushi bar and dining room. Hotelier Jeff Klein, the creator of San Vicente Bungalows with its flagship in West Hollywood in 2018, purchased the Jane Hotel from Richard Born in 2022. A second club, San Vicente Santa Monica opened in 2024. The West Village club hosted SNL’s 50th anniversary star-studded party and then opened to its members. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. is proud to be part of the San Vicente West Village team.