A new restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen is bringing an intimate, experimental experience to the neighborhood.
Lady Blue is a new space on Restaurant Row that effortlessly pairs elevated flavors with specialty cocktails. Owned by HK Hospitality, Lady Blue previously existed in its space as the beloved House of Brews, which closed up for good at the beginning of 2022.
“After nearly 20 years, the team decided to reopen the location under a new concept which led us to Lady Blue,” the team at HK Hospitality told amNewYork Metro. “We wanted to create something modern and fun that still managed to be timelessly New York.
Nestled comfortably in the Theatre District, Lady Blue’s name comes from the play “Torch Song Trilogy,” which is set in the 70s and 80s and follows the story of a gay man as he navigates love and life in New York City. After throwing around a few names, Lady Blue is the one that stuck.
“Given our proximity to the Theatre District, we thought it would be great to tie in the name to the Broadway community somehow. Patrick Schmidt, our Executive Director stumbled across the Harvey Fierstein Broadway classic, Torch Song Trilogy. The space is named after Lady Blue(s), a character in the play,” the team said. “Given our proximity to Broadway and our long-standing affinity for the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood (we also own Mom’s Kitchen & Bar, Dolly Varden and Peachy Keen in the area,) we deeply resonated with the story and found the name to be a great fit for our concept.”
Lady Blue brings a unique menu that emphasizes the social experience of dining out. The menu has a variety of shareable plates that put a new twist on classic options, such as their cheese boards, flatbreads, Sweet Chili Wings, Truffle Fries, and Oysters Rockefeller, as well as some options that you might have never had before, like their Salmon Wonton Cups, Halloumi Fries, and Truffle Polenta Croquettes. There are also options for sandwiches and salads that bring elevated flavors to your classic chicken sandwich, smashburger and salmon burger.
Lady Blue’s brunch menu keeps the same energy, with shareable options like the French Toast Squares, Chicken and Waffles Sliders and Chorizo Wonton Cups, as well as main entrees such as Bananas Foster Pancakes, Avocado Toast, and the Polenta Bowl.
“Known for long-time establishments, including Barbetta and our neighbor Lattanzi, we wanted to bring something totally unique to Restaurant Row — a little less formal and a lot more fun. So Lady Blue’s food menu focuses on small, New American plates meant for a shareable, social experience,” said the HK Hospitality team. “Brunch echoes the same deliciously playful sentiment with fun offerings like our French Toast Squares topped with seasonal macerated berries and mascarpone cream.”
One of Lady Blue’s true highlights is the restaurant’s cocktail menu. Each cocktail is carefully crafted at the bar with its own unique presentation and glassware. With the set menu and the rotating menu of drink specials, Lady Blue prides itself on fully rounding out the dining experience with a unique drink, including bringing some of the magic to the table so you can watch it all come together.
“The beverage program is equally thoughtfully curated featuring creative glassware and well-crafted cocktails, such as the Up In Smoke (tequila, mezcal, lavender, lime, soda) which comes with a lavender joint garnish that’s lit tableside!” the team said.
Lady Blue opened to the public in October 2022 and has received a warm welcome from the community, with reservations filling up for weeks in advance.
” We’ve gotten a great response from Hell’s Kitchen locals in addition to visiting tourists within the area. We really find that our guests not only enjoy the food and beverage but the ambiance of the space,” said the HK Hospitality team. “Lady Blue is meant to be a good vibe — whether that’s for an intimate date night, a night on the town with the girls or a group birthday celebration.”
As for the future of Lady Blue, the HK Hospitality team says that it’s only just getting started.
“In the New Year, we’re aiming to add in some weekly event programming into the fold (live music, one-off themed social experiences) and potentially some pop-up menu partnerships,” the team said.
Lady Blue is located at 363 West 46th Street. For more information, visit ladybluenyc.com.
