The latest Seaport District attraction is ready for its debut.
R17, a new cocktail bar and restaurant, opens on the rooftop of Howard Hughes Corporation’s Pier 17 this Saturday.
It’s the first of several food experiences slated for the four-story development, which will also be home to new concepts from chefs David Chang, Andrew Carmellini and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Debuting ahead of the winter season, the 70-seat bar and lounge designed by Rockwell Group is decked out with a blue-and-white marble bar, two fireplaces and pillows and blankets to create a cozy, warm atmosphere for patrons.
“The winter now feels very sexy,” said Lauren Carroll, managing director of food and beverage at Pier 17. “It’s all about the materials.”
Mixologist Mark Murphy’s beverage menu includes playful drinks like the bourbon-based Angry New Yorker ($18) and the martini F.Dirty.R ($14), described as “aggressively bitter” and garnished with a prosciutto-wrapped olive.
On the food front, plates include a hamachi crudo ($22) and American wagyu beef short rib ($32), with Cassidy Hallman (formerly executive chef of Morimoto Restaurant) helming the kitchen.
Carroll, who came to Pier 17 from Tavern on the Green, was drawn to the project for the “opportunity to add something new to the New York skyline.”
The programming planned for the rest of the Rooftop at Pier 17 was also a draw for the managing director. Next month, the space will be home to an ice-skating rink, dubbed Winterland Rink, which will offer skating lessons, curling and broomball to the public starting Dec. 14 and serve hot cocktails in its “warming hut.”
And in the summer, Live Nation’s rooftop concert series, which kicked off last August, will return.
During the warmer months, R17 will take out its fireplaces and open two outdoor patios that will bring its capacity to more than 300 seats, Carroll said. When there are concerts, the venue will be closed to the general public and open just for concertgoers.
“I think it will be very successful as a summer venue,” Carroll said. “The view is completely unbeatable.”
Until then, R17 will try to entice New Yorkers to come to the Seaport District during the colder months with views of the Brooklyn Bridge and East River, those fireplaces and craft cocktails.
“Our struggle is you still have to walk underneath the highway and come to the pier in a somewhat cold season,” Carroll said. “We’re trying to create an experience where you come and it’s worth two to three cocktails.”
The lounge is the latest dining option for the Seaport District, which recently added outposts of the Italian café and retail space 10 Corso Como, vegan chain By Chloe and soft serve spot Big Gay Ice Cream.
R17 is located at 89 South St. and will be open from 4-11 p.m. daily, with hours slated to expand to lunch once the ice rink opens.
Pier peers
Here’s a look at what else is on the menu for Pier 17 next year:
- Jean-Georges Vongerichten: The celebrated chef behind institutions such as Mercer Kitchen and his eponymous Jean-Georges is planning a new seafood restaurant on the waterfront.
- David Chang: The chef’s Momofuku Restaurant Group is planning a new bar and grill concept.
- Andrew Carmellini: The restaurateur is developing a new Italian chophouse concept for Pier 17.
- Malibu Farm: The Southern California restaurant brings its farm-to-table dining to NYC for the first time.
