Showbiz Party Guide: Latest Venues for Absolute Glitz and Glamour
Event season is year-round in Los Angeles and New York City. Creative design and state-of-the-art infrastructure combine at these new or updated venues and private dining rooms in Los Angeles and New York. These are glam, of-the-moment options for showbiz event planners.
LOS ANGELES
Beverly Hills Hangout: Citizen (pictured Top)
Citizen’s vibe is low-key but haute enough for the button-downed crowd when they want to unwind. The glass-walled front patio can host up to 50 for cocktails. Cuisine is new American with a Southern accent by chef Scott Howard; bar maestro Josh Goldman developed the cocktail program. Imagine Entertainment and Norman Lear took over the bar for 2016 holiday gatherings.
184 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, Citizenbeverlyhills.com
Freshly sharpened: CUT Lounge
Up to 60 seated guests and 100 for receptions can take over Cut Lounge’s refurbished space at the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. Interior designer Waldo Fernandez opted for a neutral color palette; Mid-Century style couches and other furnishings complete the posh look. A glass and steel door now separates the lounge from the hotel’s bustling entrance.
9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, wolfgangpuck.com
Courtesy of ryan forbes/avablu |
Above It All: Dream Hollywood
Think Hollywood Hills aerie when considering the Dream Hollywood’s rooftop. Citywide and hillside views, retractable pool cover and space for 600 people means the indoor/outdoor Highlight Room will be in high demand once the 179-room hotel opens. The flexible layout will feature the latest tech including a state-of-the-art sound system and enough power for live music perfs.
6417 Selma Ave., Dreamhotels.com/hollywood
Secret Screen: Estrella
Hidden from the street, the 45-seat theater is accessed through Estrella restaurant on the Sunset Strip. Tech is top-of-the-line 4K projection augmented by 7.1 Dolby surround sound. Chef Dakota Weiss can be called upon for her sweet and savory gourmet popcorn or more elaborate menus for pre-or-post screening fetes in the theater’s reception space.
8800 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, estrellasunset.com
Vegans Matter: Matthew Kenney NM
Matthew Kenney champions plant-based cuisine. Find his latest vegan eatery within the Beverly Hills Neiman Marcus. It’s available for cocktail parties for up to 30 after 6 p.m. Juices, smoothies and locally sourced veggies are on the lunch menu, served in a café-style setting.
9700 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, matthewkenneycuisine.com
Contempo Italian: Nerano
The plush BG Lounge upstairs at Nerano has its own private entrance and can welcome up to 40. Located at the border of Beverly Hills, the recently opened restaurant and bar comes from the Toscana Restaurant Group’s Andy and Carlo Brandon-Gordon. Specialties include whisper-thin crusted pizza and seafood dishes inspired by the cuisine of Italy’s Amalfi coast.
9960 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, neranobh.com
High-end Japanese: Roku’s Sake Cave
Off the main dining room, Roku West Hollywood’s brick-lined Sake Cave can seat up to 50 or hold 75 for a standing reception. Drink premium Japanese sake and devour sashimi-laden seafood towers at this Sunset Strip hot spot across from BOA and the Soho House. Group dining menus offer several multi-course options.
9201 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, innovativedining.com
Courtesy of dustin downing |
Tiki Paradise: Pacific Seas
Ukulele-playing mermaids are not out of place at downtown L.A.’s retro-themed Tiki bar Pacific Seas deep inside Clifton’s. A vintage wood cruiser is moored permanently in the center of the astutely art directed South Seas fantasyland. Rum is the featured spirit; mermaids available for all events. Up to 249 can hide-away within the rattan covered walls.
648 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, Cliftonsla.com
Tuned In: The Peppermint Club
The Hollywood group’s nightlife impresarios John Terzian and Brian Toll partnered with Interscope Records to open the acoustically divine Peppermint Club in West Hollywood. Within the 2,000-ft. space, designed by Built Inc.’s John Sofio, sound is enhanced via cork-tiled ceilings and cork-lined walls. Seating is plush with a stage for live performances and a sound system intended for the most exclusive listening parties and other music minded events.
8713 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, hwoodgroup.com/thepeppermintclub
Private Quarters: Redbird
There are five newly refurbished and versatile private dining rooms above Redbird, chef Neal Fraser’s upscale eatery in downtown Los Angeles. The restaurant occupies the historic former cathedral rectory (priest and cardinal’s house) at Vibiana, now in-demand for post Emmy and Grammy gatherings. The art-tiled East Room with patio has a spiffy JennAir demonstration kitchen, a 65” HD-TV and a Sonos sound system. There’s space for 70 guests standing or 30 for a seated chef’s table dinner.
114 E. Second St., Los Angeles, redbird.la
NEW YORK CITY
Courtesy of bill brokaw |
Multi-Levels Midtown: Bill’s Townhouse
This period-perfect multi-level bar and restaurant makes use of all its century-old floors and history. The ground level tavern is a former speakeasy; the second floor dining room boasts richly hued walls and framed etchings; and the third floor parlour has richly hued mahogany panels and a 22-seat private dining room. The entire house is available for complete buyouts.
57 E. 54th St., New York, billstownhouse.com
Courtesy of eric laignel |
Eco-friendly: 1 Hotel Central Park
The social spaces at the 1 Hotel Central Park are flush with hanging plants, other greenery and Central Park views. The reclaimed wood and natural finishes bring a touch of nature to the heart of the city. Event menus are from chef Jonathan Waxman of Jams and Waxman’s San Francisco. The eco-minded attitude extends to guest rooms where waterfall showers and organic materials are a soothing antidote to the city’s concrete.
1414 Avenue of the Americas, New York, 1hotels.com/central-park
Party city: Whitney Museum of American Art
Set in the Meatpacking District, the Whitney Museum of American Art’s contemporary showpiece was designed by Renzo Piano, BCAM at LACMA’s architect. Event settings range from the 6,200 square foot lobby with view-rich floor-to-ceiling windows (capacity 450) to the flexible third floor theater complex (up to 170 guests) while the eighth floor rooftop terrace is a stunning indoor/outdoor option. Catering exclusively by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events.
99 Gansevoort St., New York, whitney.org
Related stories
Global Talent Expand Their Oscar Horizons
'La La Land' Sound Pair Strike a Rare Note
Oscar-Nominated Directors Do What They Know
Get more from Variety and Variety411: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
