The Rainbow Room has been part of the elite traveler scene in New York City since its opening in 1934, first as a supper club, and later an outpost of Cipriani. It has been a set for movies and a venue for numerous private parties of well-known and unknown movers and shakers. Its famous revolving dance floor and art deco design channel the great ocean liners of mid-20th Century. The views from the 65th floor of Rockefeller Center are among the best in the city.
After closing for five years, it re-opens this weekend and will be open to the public for Sunday Brunch and themed dinners on Mondays. Entertainment scheduled so far includes Grammy Award winning hip hop crew The Roots, James Langton’s New York All-Star Big Band, Michael Arnella & His Dreamland Orchestra, Tony Award winning actress Christine Ebersole, and the Count Bassie Orchestra. There will also be a bar, SixtyFive at The Rainbow Room, with an outdoor terrace open Mondays to Fridays from 5 pm to Midnight.
Last night many New Yorkers got their first peak at the renovations, which have restored the facility to its heyday glamour. A mix of celebrities, billionaires, media, and event planners mixed as tins of caviar were passed freely and truffled hamachi was served college-student-style from peel-back tin cans by black-tied waiters.
Award-winning chef Jonathan Wright, whose credentials include Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in England, Sandy Lane in Barbados, and Raffles in Singapore, will lead the kitchen. A set menu starts at $175 excluding drinks, and typical cocktails are priced between $20 and $35. Tishman Speyer, which operates the building, is overseeing the Rainbow Room complex this time. Based on the schedule it seems most of the revenue will probably come from private parties ranging from weddings and Bar Mitzvahs to product launches and run of the mill corporate celebrations. With seating for up to 270 people and its signature dance floor and stunning views, New Yorkers attending the party last night were pleased to have the landmark venue back in operations.
Janeen Saltman, founder of elite event organizer JKS Events was ecstatic. “I already have several clients who will love this space,” she said as she sipped her wine, views of the George Washington Bridge and city skyline twinkling in the background.
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