So there was a lot of hubbub caused by our one little paragraph about the Eldridge last week. Who broke the story, what's the Eldridge like, etc...Matt Levine decided to end some of the controversy and give us an "exclusive" first look at the Eldridge and allow us to publish the first ever pictures right here on Guest of a Guest.
We did a little walk through on Saturday at the Eldridge and it is truly a beautiful space. The club features a hand-stamped golden floor with customized golden flakes, chocolate chesterfield leather banquettes, exposed brick on one side, and then customized crystallized field stone on the other. The room will be highlighted with an Armand de Brignac champagne wall, valued at over $650,000. The room will have only 13 tables with a capacity of 150 people.
More pictures and story below:
There will be no VIP section as the club will require mandatory reservations (with references) for entry. The staff will consist of butlers, chaperons, porters, table attendants and a hospitality consultant. The cocktail list was created by Charlotte Voisey who, along with opening Apartment 195 in London which was awarded Best Bar of the Year, has also won the best bartender award for the U.K. in 2004. Other spaces Charlotte has worked with recently include: The Dorchester Hotel, London and Ian Schrager’s Gramercy Park Hotel.
Another unique program the Eldridge is starting is the SmartNightlife program with Smartwater. It will provide a smart alternative for transportation for guests that will literally take one home in a branded Escalade. Also, the Eldridge will be the first lounge-only venue in the country to be certified by the GRA (Green Restaurant Association). The club will also feature, "Bottles & Popcorn," a Monday night alternative to Butter, where guests will be able to watch old time movies as they pop open bottles and popcorn.
The club is slated to open at the end of this month and will only be open Sunday through Thursday, until the Fall. In Matt"s words, the Eldridge will be "a date-spot, a lounge, a club fused with the hospitality of a concierge service." Sounds pretty unique to us and we can hardly wait to go.