A planned new four-star Virgin Hotel is rising on Broadway and 30th Street in NoMad. The Lam Group is partnering with Sir Richard Branson to build and operate the 38 story hotel which will have over 400 guest rooms. It will come with over 90,000 square feet of retail space. Virgin says that the hotel will intermix a passion for food and beverage, music and culture, fusing along with the local landscape and providing a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. It currently operates a hotel in Chicago, and plans to open in other cities as well. London-based Swingers, which operates indoor mini-golf courses will be leasing over 20,000 square feet of subgrade space in the new hotel, its first location in the U.S. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Virgin Hotel and Swingers team.
Eli Zabar, owner of Night Shift, E.A.T., Vinegar Factory, Eli’s Market, Eli’s Essentials, and a number of other east side eateries, is teaming up with his son Oliver to open in a new location on Broome Street on the lower east side. The space, between Orchard and Ludlow Streets, was formerly occupied by Lucky Bee, a Thai restaurant, which closed late last year. Zabar has over 45 years in the food business. Manhattan Community Board 3’s SLA committee unanimously welcomed and approved the Zabars for a liquor license after having stymied an attempt last year to open on Mulberry Street. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Zabar’s team.
Pastis, Keith McNally’s celebrated French bistro, is planning to reopen at 52 Gansevoort Street, a block from its former location. The famed restaurant opened in 1999 as an early entrant in the then seedy Meatpacking District. It was instrumental in transforming the neighborhood, and had a very rich history, bringing a piece of Paris to New York. Pastis closed four years ago when the property was sold and the new owners decided to demolish the building. McNally, a James Beard award winning restauranteur and owner of Balthazar, Augustine, Morandi among others, will partner in the new Pastis with another James Beard award winner, Stephen Starr. Starr’s New York restaurants include Le Cou Cou, Upland, The Clock Tower and Buddakan. The two plan to reopen Pastis in 2019. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the new Pastis team.
Zero Bond, a private members club for three upper floors in the building at Broadway and Bond Street in Manhattan, was approved this week for a liquor license over the objections of Community Board 2. The brainchild of Scott Sartiano, a former creator and owner of 1OAK and the Butter Group, the members club will feature a restaurant, bowling alley, shared work space and meeting rooms over three floors, with an entrance at 0 Bond Street. The lower floors of the building are occupied by Equinox fitness club. The application received strong support from City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, and Council members Margaret Chin and Rafael Espinol as well as from many residents and the NoHo Bowery Association. It is expected to open in early 2019. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Zero Bond team.
Last September Mayor Bill DiBlasio created the Office for Nightlife for New York City, and this weekend named Ariel Palitz as its first Executive Director. Ariel, a former bar owner was also a member of Manhattan Community Board 3. The Office for Nightlife will be part of the Office of Media and Entertainment headed by Commissioner Julie Menin. In a post she wrote after her appointment, Ariel said “I look forward to working together with the Advisory Board, and hearing feedback from nightlife operators, curators and community to ensure that New York culture is not only preserved, nurtured and protected, but respected.” We congratulate our friend, Ariel, and look forward to working with her team on nightlife issues.
On February 27, 2018, Conde Nast Traveler published its list of the 31 Best Hotels in New York City. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to represent 16 — more than half — of those hotels on this exclusive list, including Soho House, 11 Howard, Public, The Beekman, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, The Nomad Hotel, Ace Hotel New York, Standard High Line, Hotel Americano, The Williamsburg Hotel Gramercy Park Hotel, Peninsula New York, among others. Congratulations to our clients who made the list.
Richie Akiva’s Butter Group, whose holdings include 1 Oak, was approved by the New York State Liquor Authority yesterday for a planned new restaurant in the basement of what was Spice Market on Ninth Avenue and 13th Street. Butter Group will partner in the new space with chef Marc Forgione, who is also an owner of American Cut. The new Meatpacking District restaurant will feature Italian-Mediterranean fare. At the SLA hearing yesterday a number of residents as well as a representative from Manhattan Community Board 2 opposed the application. It was approved however with restrictions on the proposed method of operation, including hours.
New York Eater.com names Nusret Steakhouse, DaDong, Ferris, and L’Atelier del Joel Robuchon, among the top five of the hottest restaurants in Manhattan right now. Rounding the list of the top twelve includes Tetsu and Juku. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of all of those six winning teams.
Famed chef Tom Valenti has come back to the Upper West Side with the newly opened Oxbow Tavern. Formerly Café Tallulah, the restaurant at 240 Columbus Avenue between 71st and 72nd Streets will be a casual neighborhood spot. Chef Valenti, the author of a number of cookbooks, had for years brought high end dining to the Upper West Side with Ouest, Cesca and The West Branch. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Oxbow Tavern team.
The recently opened Freehand New York at 23 Lexington Avenue in Flatiron has begun welcoming guests. The hotel, the newest addition to the line of Freehand hotels already operating in Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles, spans an entire city block and contains multiple food and beverage outlets including The George Washington bar, and restaurants The Studio at Freehand and Simon and the Whale. The building, which was originally built as the George Washington hotel in 1928, has been restored to its original details and beauty to once again become a must-visit destination in Manhattan. Additional food and beverage outlets prepare to open within the hotel in the coming months. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to be part of the Freehand New York team.