12 New Venues in New York for Spring 2024 Meetings and Events

A luxury wellness retreat is opening an hour outside of the concrete jungle on April 18. Called The Ranch at Hudson Valley, the so-called “ranch” is more like 200 acres of picturesque land, where you’ll find a 25-room estate that upholds The Ranch’s famed reputation on the West Coast as a rejuvenating haven. Aside from a solarium equipped with cold-plunge pools, and group activities like hiking, cooking demonstrations, and yoga, the East Coast iteration of The Ranch has 20,000 square feet of event space. A main ballroom offers 2,064 square feet for as many as 300 guests, while 10 additional venues span 300 to 900 square feet for more intimate affairs hosting 16 to 80 guests. Full buyouts of The Ranch at Hudson Valley are also on offer for extra-special soirees with the estate and its expansive acreage all to yourself.

Michelin-starred French restaurant Le Jardinier added a new event space dubbed Sereine to its second-floor space. The restaurant is fittingly named—“sereine” is French for “serene”—considering its peaceful ambiance, notable for its textured carpeting, custom lighting, and floor-to-ceiling windows purposefully designed to evoke the feeling of a private mansion. Sereine’s 1,527 square feet can host 60 seated or 100 standing guests in its main space, while its Bar Boston can accommodate up to 60, and two adjacent private dining rooms can hold as many as 12 guests.

Tusk Bar set up shop in NoMad's Evelyn Hotel in December 2023. The swanky, 1,450-square-foot space marries the timeless elegance of a Jazz Age saloon with a modern, highly curated menu emphasizing seafood-forward small plates and cocktails. A buyout of Tusk Bar is on offer starting at $18,000 for as many as 70 standing guests, while a more intimate lounge area can host as many as 30 eventgoers in its 560 square feet. Thirsty patrons are encouraged to take over the 890-square-foot bar area, perfect for receptions of 40 in a perfectly lit space that offers a modern take on the old-school glamour of the mid-'20s.

The Granola Bar brought its menu of elevated comfort food from Connecticut’s suburbs to the concrete jungle’s Upper West Side in January. The 2,500-square-foot space was designed intentionally to seamlessly transition from day to night, with a menu to match (think: breakfast burritos; grain bowls, of course; and specialty lattes by day, and a selection of sangrias, blackened salmon, and truffle pappardelle by night). The Granola Bar can accommodate as many as 50 guests for a seated dinner or 75 for a cocktail party for buyouts ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the day of the week. Event planners are also encouraged to take advantage of the venue’s event-friendly amenities like a lounge, dining room, extensive wine and beer selection, and coat check.

For a truly one-of-a-kind, “only in New York” event, consider Dagmar, a luxury weed dispensary in SoHo. The 1,500-square-foot venue is available for as many as 75 guests age 21 and over to enjoy its main level and mezzanine, with products like cannabis flowers, pre-rolls, vaporizers, and other feel-good products designed to level up the smoke shop experience. Full buyouts are on offer for $2,500 per hour, with a minimum of two hours. Dagmar held its soft opening in December 2023 and will hard-launch in April 2024.

Hidden Bar is a private event space nestled behind the bookshelves and fireplace that make Hotel Eventi’s Back Bar a cozy and inviting place to convene. The eclectic yet modern speakeasy is literally hidden, making it an alluring alcove to accommodate as many as 40 guests for an exclusive affair. Hidden Bar spans 1,750 square feet and starts at $3,500 for a buyout. Here, cocktails range from seasonal to shaken sips designed by Jason Hedges, while celebrated chef Laurent Tourondel helms the cuisine.

Nestled within a 6.5-acre public art installation is Field of Light at Freedom Plaza, a permanent 4,802-square-foot, 49-by-98-foot tent decked out with all the electrical and audiovisual capabilities an event prof could need. The space can accommodate 400 eventgoers who will surely revel at the 19,000 stemmed spheres that illuminate and subtly change the hue in the meadow surrounding the venue’s transparent walls. Field of Light is a yearlong installation that will occupy the tent’s surrounding field through December 2024. Event profs are asked to inquire within for pricing, as Freedom Plaza waives site fees for celebrations hosted by nonprofit organizations and educational institutions.

Hudson Square welcomed trend-setting Japanese restaurant Mishik to the neighborhood in January. The space is as stylish as the food is memorable, with a menu that includes omakase and chef's tasting options—both featuring sashimi, nigiri, and the choice to add a dollop of caviar for an extra-special bite. The 1,800-square-foot space is notable for its modern touches, including the marble-topped sushi bar, mix of banquette and table seating, custom mirrored shelving, and a bar back finished with black-and-white tree-lined forest wallpaper. Mishik can accommodate as many as 60 for a sit-down, food-focused affair while up to 80 can gather here for a standing soiree.

Italian hideaway Lulla set up shop on the first and second floors of Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea hotel in September 2023, and it prides itself on being a respite from the hustle and bustle. Its 4,000-plus square feet of space includes a roughly 1,500-square-foot dining area for as many as 200 standing guests—in a space notable for its striking blue and gold hues—as well as an intimate, 220-square-foot sunken lounge for as many as 70. There’s also an outdoor patio and second-floor terrace, which can each accommodate up to 70 standing guests. Lulla offers full buyouts, where minimums range from $1,500 to $5,000, or partial buyouts with a seated meal for $75 per guest.

Gulaabo, which opened its doors in Times Square in August 2023, boasts a menu that celebrates timeless Indian cuisine—and 3,500 square feet of space to enjoy it in. The bi-level restaurant caters to corporate teams and groups of family and friends with full buyout availability for large gatherings of 200, as well as a second-floor space for as many as 45 seated or 50 standing guests. Other areas of Gulaabo—notable for its gold ceilings, velvet banquettes, and striking Indian floral-printed wallpaper—can be reserved for up to 75 hungry patrons to enjoy a food-focused affair. Guests are also encouraged to grab one of six seats at Gulaabo’s stone-topped bar and sip on one of its specialty cocktails inspired by Punjab while admiring fresco-style murals from artist Jess Kollar.

Bar Louis’ opening in December 2023 added 1,200 square feet of venue space to New York City’s trendy Lower East Side. The venue is owned and operated by masterminds of the lot’s subterranean space, 205 Club, which occupied the below-street-level spot before Bar Louis’ time, when it was known as a popular pub called Leave Rochelle Out of It. Now boasting a top-to-bottom refresh, the space is both sultry and sophisticated, oozing the elegance of New York’s bygone era across its 1,200 square feet, which can accommodate large gatherings of as many as 140.

Omakase-operating veteran Kissaki Hospitality Group expanded its sushi-forward offerings with the opening of Kamasu on Jan. 17 in the Financial District. A perfect atmosphere to wine and dine clients or build team camaraderie, the 2,500-square-foot Kamasu can host up to 70 seated guests to enjoy an array of the eatery’s signature temaki hand roll sets. Showcased in sets of three to seven, the so-called “open-faced” sushi rolls feature delicacies like kanpachi, striped bass, and salmon, just to name a few.