Amazing news the Rainbow Room will open to the public on October 5, 2014, serving its first Sunday brunch. The Rainbow Room’s legacy began 80 years ago this October when it transformed the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza into a dining and entertainment destination that has occupied the collective imagination and memories of generations. Over the years, the biggest movie stars, entertainers and other notable figures from Cole Porter, Noel Coward, Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson, to all New York City mayors from Fiorello LaGuardia to Michael Bloomberg, Al Pacino, Barbra Streisand and Muhammad Ali, all dined, danced and celebrated countless occasions at the Rainbow Room.
Photo credit Rainbow Room, Bart Barlow
Operating as a combination restaurant and event space, Rainbow Room will be open Sundays for brunch and Monday evenings and most holidays for dinner, including Valentine’s Day. The culinary team, led by Executive Chef Jonathan Wright, who brings over 20 years of international experience to Rainbow Room (Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, The Setai on Miami Beach), has crafted a menu of classic and contemporary American cuisine.
Offering a dining experience that has been designed to showcase the magnificent room, the menu features interpretations of American and international classics including Oysters Rockefeller (Island Creek Oysters complemented by a bacon sabayon), Lobster Pot Pie with Black Truffles (replete with Hepworth Farms root vegetables), and Herb Roasted Pennsylvania Lamb (served with braised lamb tortellini, young lettuce hearts, Latham Farms turnips). Event menus draw on the restaurant offerings, ensuring a seamless, Chef-curated culinary experience regardless of when guests visit Rainbow Room.
Monday nights at Rainbow Room will once again be a premier destination for spectacular performances. Guests can enjoy a variety of entertainment unparalleled to any venue to date, from international headliners to new faces in a variety of genres, from jazz to swing and more.
Rainbow Room will also serve Sunday brunch. Known for his globally-inspired and interactive brunch at The Setai on Miami Beach, Chef Wright will transform the iconic, landmarked dance floor into an expansive culinary stage. Comprised of several stations each helmed by a chef with a cuisine specialty, the experience will take diners on a journey around the world with each bite. Dedicated chef’s tables will feature a spectacular raw bar, a selection of house-made breads, a roasted meat station offering dishes like Herb Roasted Amish Chicken and an expansive array of Asian specialties, including Char Siew Barbeque Pork Steamed Buns and Thai Chicken Green Curry, among others. An assortment of breakfast pastries, cheeses, charcuterie and smoked fish will also be available. Throughout the meal, the kitchen will surprise diners with homemade treats direct from the kitchen such as New Orleans Beignets and Cinnamon Apple Cider Doughnuts delivered tableside. A child-friendly, kid-height brunch buffet will delight those under the age of 12.
Designed by renowned architectural firm Gabellini Sheppard Associates (GSA), the space, including its legendary dance floor, has been restored through a modern lens to once again embody the glamour and elegance reflective of its rich history. Montroy Andersen DeMarco, who served as executive architect of the project, along with GSA, worked to preserve the signature landmarked design elements, including the famed crystal chandelier and crystal wall sconces, in accordance with the guidelines set by the New York City Landmarks Commission, to dazzle New Yorkers once again. Visitors may recall the signature platforms, brass railings and crystal ballards from the original 1934 design, and will notice new touches such as the enlarged windows and custom crystal curtains that enhance the view and grandeur of the space.
Adjacent to Rainbow Room sits SixtyFive, a new cocktail lounge that will be open to the public five nights a week serving a menu of classic and contemporary cocktails. Guests can imbibe classics such as the 1915 Gin & Tonic made with Dorothy Parker Gin, Lemon, Angostura biters and Johnnie Ryan Tonic. Celebrating the room’s storied past while looking to its future, new cocktails inspired by the kitchen – featuring Room With A View, made with Rittenhouse Rye, Green Chartreuse and Angostura Bitters – round out the menu. A previously vacant outdoor terrace on the 65th floor has been appropriated for outdoor seating, offering sweeping views of Manhattan’sbreathtaking skyline. Inspired by the timeless spirit of New York, all of the materials and details from the faceted ceiling to the mother-of-pearl table tops have been painstakingly selected to seamlessly transition from day to night and serve as a beacon of style and sophistication for years to come.
Rainbow Room will be open Monday evenings for dinner and weekly rotating entertainment beginning at 5:30 p.m. Brunch will be served Sundays from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Rainbow Room will be open Tuesday – Saturday for private events. Reservations for Rainbow Room can be made by calling 212-632-5000. SixtyFive is open to the public Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. – midnight. For more information on Rainbow Room and SixtyFive, please visit www.rainbowroom.com.