The 21 Club is not a private club, I learned at a breakfast meeting last week. And that’s a good thing.
Nestled among the cedar block buildings off 5th Avenue, the 21 Club can easily be missed but a quick glance at the wraught iron gates with the curious line-up of colorful jockey statuettes and you know you’ve stumbled across something out of the ordinary. Well inside you are enveloped in a cozy but distinctly upper class atmosphere, with dark woord accents and leather lounge chairs that beg for you to kick your feet up with a cigar and a cognac.
The club has a couple of restaurants, a cocktail lounge and several private rooms for everything from a staff meeting to weddings. If you can, get a sneak peak at the Wine Cellar – once a Prohibition Era treasure trove.
The Bar Room on the main level is great for a more casual meal or after work gathering. It’s filled with curiousities donated by the famous guests that dine there. Prices are steep – perhaps one of the reasons it’s written off as a private club – but from now through July it’s maintaining Restaurant Week with a prix-fixe menu where lunch is $24 and dinner $35. And the food is scrumptious.
Tags: 21 Club, afer work drinks, dinner, New York City, prohibition era, Restaurant Week