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Pants at a Glance
- scene: A mix of fancy and faff, in one of the most gorgeous rooms in New York City
- sip: Cocktails like the Mother of Pearl or Proud Mary were delicious, but you can always opt for a good ol' Greyhound - Or go the opposite direction and order $550 bottles of Vodka and Champers
- savor: Smoked Salmon Tart, Burger with Fries, Foie Gras French Toast
- sit: The banquettes are super tight for larger groups, but perfect for 2-6 with a breathtaking view
- spend: $$$$
- address: 848 Washington St (at 13th)
- phone number: (212) 645-7600
- website: http://standardhotels.com/high-line/food-drink/the-top-of-the-standard
When I read that the Top of the Standard (I still prefer to say Boom Boom Room, not sure why that changed) was starting to do a Sunday brunch, I immediately checked the calendar to see when my and Husband’s schedules would allow us a Sunday Funday. What could be better than a brunch party with a view, at one of the chicest spaces in the city? Even though they only take reservations two weeks in advance, we were able to snag one for a friend’s birthday this past weekend (President’s Day, nonetheless, so no work Monday) and before Husband hung up, he was told “cocktail attire ONLY,” which kind of threw us off.
OK… the dress code just adds another level to the fun, and as the group increased over the week, we were also told there would be $150 per person minimum if we were over 8 people… for brunch. Was this Bagatelle? No – but hearing this made us hope that Top of the Standard brunch would blow that shitshow out of the cheesy water…
Arriving all dolled up in our tux jackets, furs and heels on a freezing Sunday afternoon, the first thing we noticed when we entered the room was a sight often encountered at Bagatelle – people in bright daylight, sitting inside wearing sunglasses. Normally this would scream “douchebag,” but after settling down at our banquette (not sure how they ever expected to fit 9 people here, we were down to 7 and barely made it), it was so damn bright in there that sunglasses were necessary just to be able to see the person sitting across from you. Last I checked, brunch didn’t come with botox, so no need to enhance those brow creases from squinting….
We didn’t opt for bottle service and instead ordered brunch drinks (a fab spicy Bloody Mary and a Greyhound will always be the best hair-of-the-dog), which was a great move because the room never got busy or buzzy enough to want to blame it on the Goose. The food menu had lots of yummy offerings, so we started with a pastry tray and each ordered our own dishes. Besides the pastries, the $20+ plates were more like tapas – an Egg Fritatta served in 4 mini cubes, a Mushroom Toast that was 2 small pieces of bruschetta – and we couldn’t help ourselves from laughing as they were each served on our mini-sized cocktail table with little to no room for 7 plates. Good thing not everything was served at once…
Everything we ate was delicious and beautifully presented, like the rest of our surroundings, so we ended up having a great time. The guys were still kind of hungry, so ordered a few extra items and more fries, but the ladies who brunch were happy. While we weren’t obligated to the $150 per person minimum, we still spent $90 a pop for mini bites and about 3 cocktails each; that said, it was honestly a fun way to switch up the typical NYC brunch scene, and maybe once it catches wind, will have a better balance of Bagatelle and Boom Boom chic.
PS – not everyone there was in cocktail attire – actually, most weren’t, so maybe the host didn’t threaten them with the dress code like they did to us… but we still had fun…
