When conceiving the restaurant’s design identity, Hotchkiss had plenty of references on his mood board. Many originate from ’80s – fictional Babylon club from Scarface
, legendary LGBTQ+ disco Paradise Garage, Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois on Main – but other inspirations, like Peggy Guggenheim’s palace in Venice, exude a more worldly elegance. In fact, the Holiday Bar’s cuisine has international influences: Chefs Dina Fan and Marc Howard have designed a seafood-centric menu that takes inspiration from far-flung ports like St. Barths, Amalfi and Chiang Mai. (Standouts include king crab with spicy tofu vinaigrette, calamari pasta with itameshi broth and smoked paprika flakes, and grilled chicken with roasted red peppers and Caribbean vinaigrette.)
Meanwhile, the drink list is deliberately sparse, reminiscent of the days before craft cocktails were all the rage in New York. There are pain relievers and gin sodas, but the most popular is the lychee martini, served in a glass with a wavy stem.
I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that the Holiday Bar isn’t a cohesive concept, because it is – very much so. Hotchkiss, also the man behind downtown hotspots Saint Theo’s and American Bar, is a master at encouraging high-octane energy: Every choice he makes, from chairs to food, is designed to foster a very raucous elegance . Rarely do you take the date you want to meet or your mother in town to his place; instead, you squeeze a booth with your friends, drink one too many martinis, and say Too much trash talk.
A Alex Katz signature is printed on the wall. Courtesy of Holiday Bar
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