This morning we crept into Chris Santos’s new one, Beauty & Essex, and sneaked a shot of the Veuve Clicquot stacked at the bar, presumably for pouring in the ladies’ lounge tonight at the first of the opening parties. Last week the opening date was set for December 11, though today a worker told us the 10th. Either way, the floor-through AvroKO-designed space has throwback details that bring to mind the early sixties, including, in the back dining room, a peacock tapestry and peacock feathers in vases on the tables, and a filigree golden vine mounted on the wall in the middle bar area. Picture the apartment Mad Men’s Pete and Trudy might move into if they came into some extra cash and traded up.
As previously mentioned, the Essex Street entrance opens onto a pawn shop up front complete with vintage guitars and other rock-and-roll tchotchkes. A spiral staircase encircling a full-story-long pearl chandelier is behind that, then a middle bar area with shiny tufted-leather couches, and finally the elegant rear dining room with a vaulted, oval-shaped skylight. Glimpse the space for yourself in our slideshow, and check out the draft menu below.
Beauty & Essex Menu [PDF]
Beauty & Essex, 146 Essex St., nr. Stanton St.; 212-614-0146
Earlier: Stanton Social Team Will Open Beauty & Essex Next Week
