TURBAN-topped hotelier Vikram Chatwal is bringing a huge 8,000square-foot restaurant and lounge to the North Times Square area. The new venture, Amalia, will open in a former carriage house space adjacent to Chatwal’s whimsical Dream Hotel at Broadway and 55th Street.
Taking the name of Sigmund Freud’s mother, Amalia promises to be an eccentric venture and, according to its rep, will have “the sex appeal and mystery of a dilapidated mansion in Prague.” Design elements will include framed artwork mounted on the ceiling, huge black chandeliers, columns that suggest the profile of a woman’s face, spiral staircases, original exposed brick and high wooden archways.
Chatwal’s partners in the venue include Greg Brier- formerly of the Jet nightclubs and Aspen- and designer Steve Lewis of Butter.
As this column reported last year, restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow had been in talks to bring a version of his Social Hollywood and Social Miami to the space.
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The Financial District is getting its first 24-hour eatery, as further proof the area is maintaining a pulse after the markets close.
The planned upscale diner, slated to open before the first of the year, will tentatively be called Gold Street, and will be owned and operated by the proprietors of Harry’s Café and Harry’s Steak on Hanover Square. It will have the vibe of the Coffee Shop on Union Square, a spokesperson says.
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Gotham Comedy Club doesn’t want customers laughing at their food. Now the Chelsea fun house will feature the succulent fare from its next door neighbor, R.U.B. BBQ. The 300-seat theater will begin serving the fare of seven-time barbecue champion Paul Kirk, including hickory smoked ribs and brisket.