Private Dining Rooms To Rent
By Laura Joseph Mogil
Photography by Phil Mansfield
So you want to throw the perfect dinner party but don’t
want to do any of the work? Not to worry. Westchester’s top restaurants are at your service, providing some of the ritziest private dining rooms you could ever imagine, plus top-notch food and service.
To help you choose the right room, we’ve done the legwork for you and checked out the finest rooms in the finest dining establishments. Now, all you have to do is invite your closest friends, family, or business associates, and then let the restaurant do all the hard work.
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Equus
Castle on the Hudson, 400 Benedict Ave. Tarrytown
(914) 524-6366
www.castleonthehudson.com
The Room: The luxurious Tapestry Room boasts oversized embroideries, dramatic chandeliers, and a cozy fireplace, as well as an elegant fresco-painted ceiling that makes you feel as if you’re in an old Italian church. Lush gold and brown drapes part to reveal magnificent views of the Hudson River, and doors open to an outdoor terrace. Beautiful tapestry chairs provide seating for up to 50, or up to 40 for a cocktail or buffet reception.
The Cuisine: Equus Executive Chef David Haviland calls his elegant fare “new American cuisine with a French influence.” Try his hickory bacon-wrapped black angus beef tenderloin served alongside potatoes Aligot and a Cabernet wine reduction. Also, don’t miss the signature dessert, Castle Chocolate Cake, featuring layers of chocolate flourless torte, mousse, and ganache surrounded in a thin layer of chocolate wrapping, complete with gold bricks and turrets.
Policy/Prices: Available seven days a week. There is a $500 facility fee and prices start at $98 per person for a three-course meal. There is an $8,000 revenue minimum for the Tapestry Room on Saturdays.
What You Should Know: General Howard Carroll built his Normandy-style country estate in two stages between 1897 and 1910. Now a luxury hotel with an award-winning restaurant, Castle on the Hudson has many other rooms that can be privately rented out, including the neoclassical-style “Library Room” (seats up to 30).
Blue Hill at
Stone Barns
630 Bedford Rd., Pocantico Hills
(914) 366-9606 ext. 226
www.bluehillstonebarns.com
The Room: The private dining room’s cream-colored walls, oak cabinetry and moldings, and vaulted ceiling are all about modern elegance, with the only thing reminding you that you’re in a former barn are the wide board floors of reclaimed pine. The room can accommodate up to 64 people for a sit-down event; it also can be divided in half.
The Cuisine: Blue Hill emphasizes seasonal cuisine and pays tribute to the Hudson Valley’s farmers (it grows many of its own ingredients), aiming to bring food from “farm to table.” You can’t beat the winter menu’s loin of lamb with roasted squash, Brussels sprouts, and pumpkin seeds or the summer’s braised and roasted Berkshire pig with roasted corn stew.
Policy/Prices: Minimum cost is $3,300 for half the room and $6,600 for the entire room plus tax. Prices start at $155 per person for a three-course meal ($175 for four courses) with passed hors d’oeuvres, open bar, and wine parings.
What You Should Know: If you do decide to book only half the room, make sure to ask for the side with the window overlooking the chef’s herb garden (available on a first come, first served basis).
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Zuppa
59-61 Main St., Yonkers
(914) 376-6500
www.zupparestaurant.com
The Room: A European-style “cantina” (wine cellar), Zuppa’s private dining room has a cavern-like feel and is beautifully designed with a wall of original bricks dating back more than a century, rows of wine stored in cherry wood racks, a terracotta tiled floor, gilded mirrors, and antique onyx chandeliers. It seats 10 to 30 people.
The Cuisine: Come here for bold and innovative New Age Italian dishes. “We’re using old school flavors in a new school way,” says Chef David DiBari, who worked with Mario Batali at Babbo for two years. You’re not going to find traditional penne alla vodka on his menu, but more inventive fare including ricotta gnocchi with duck ragu and wood-oven pizzette with duck salami, three-minute egg, and ricotta cheese. The tre dulce dessert, with ricotta zeppolini, light air of strawberries, and chocolate hazelnut cake, would make anyone go off their diet.
Policy/Prices: The cantina is available Sunday through Friday, with limited Saturday availability. The minimum number of people required is eight, and prices start at $75 per person for a six-course tasting menu.
What You Should Know: Zuppa is housed in the historically preserved Gazette Building, first used as a printing press for the local newspaper. The bricks in the wine cellar were part of a foot bridge used by Dutch Schultz during the Prohibition to bring liquor from the city to the river. Carrying on the tradition (legally), Zuppa offers 175 wines by the bottle and 16 by the glass—reasonable prices are a bonus!
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Crabtree’s Kittle House
11 Kittle Rd., Chappaqua
(914) 666-8044
www.kittlehouse.com
The Room: Guests descend stairs to access the secluded “wine tasting room” with a coveted view into Crabtree’s legendary wine cellar. The room has no windows, which “makes you lose all sense of place and time,” notes proprietor John Crabtree. Of course, a couple glasses of cabernet could also contribute to this feeling. Capacity: 10 to 16 guests.
The Cuisine: Progressive American cuisine paired with world-class wines is what Crabtree’s does best. We can thank Executive Chef Jeremy Smollar for such excellent creations as fillet of wild striped bass with olive cured tomatoes and a red pepper confit, paired at a recent dinner with a Bordeaux Blanc, Blanc de Lynch Bages (2002).
Policy/Prices: The wine tasting rooms are available every day. Minimum price is $1,000. Expect to pay $75 to $100 per person for a five- to seven-course tasting menu, with wine starting at $20 per person.
What You Should Know: Built in 1790, the Kittle House was once a barn belonging to prominent local businessman Moses Taylor V. The former stables were transformed into the current “Grand Award” wine cellar, whose 70,000-plus bottles and 6,000 labels make it one of the greatest collections of wines in the world.
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La Panetière
530 Milton Rd., Rye
(914) 967-8140
www.lapanetiere.com
The Room: Ten years ago,owner Jacques Loupiac added the imported greenhouse to the upstairs private dining room, creating a light and spacious garden-like atmosphere that can’t be beat. It seats up to 50 people.
The Cuisine: This is contemporary French cuisine at its finest, with such mouthwatering entrées as flétan de nouvelle ecosse, Nova Scotia halibut seared on a plancha with “pearls” of green zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, onion, mussels, and fresh chives in a Billy-bi (cream of mussel) sauce. Don’t say adieu until you’ve tried dessert, like the unforgettable ananas roti, fresh pineapple slowly candied in its own juice, roasted, and then served on a Brittany shortcrust with exotic sherbet and chips.
Policy/Prices: The restaurant requires that you have at least 40 people to reserve the room on a Saturday night. Prices start at $55 to $60 per person for a three-course dinner.
What You Should Know: From plates to paintings, and furniture to French santon dolls, the decorative pieces in the restaurant all hail from
The Willett House
20 Willett Ave.
Port Chester
(914) 939-7500
www.thewilletthouse.com
The Room: Upon entering the Willett House’s “Hunt Room,” you feel as if you’re in the study of an exclusive country club. Paintings and drawings of fox hunts adorn the walls, along with pewter plates, riding hats, rifles, antlers, and antique golf clubs. The room seats 50, and it can be split into two rooms that seat 20 and 40.
The Cuisine: The Willett House offers steak at its best—prime beef only. The porterhouse steak, jumbo shrimp cocktail, and extra crispy onion mashed potatoes are best sellers.
Policy/Prices: There is no minimum here when it comes to cash or number of people, but an average check will run $70 to $80 per person (with drinks). FYI: a 40(!) oz. porterhouse steak for two is $72.
What You Should Know: The Willett House, which opened in 1990 in the former home of The Westchester Grain Company, was the first prime steakhouse in the county. You could try to cook your own meat at home, but it’s the incredibly hot, 1,200-degree broilers here that heat your steak to sizzling perfection.
Harvest-on-Hudson
1 River St., Hastings-on-Hudson
(914) 478-2800
www.harvest2000.com
The Room: Enchanting views of the Hudson River and restaurant gardens are a big draw here. Harvest’s Tuscan farmhouse décor is carried into its private upstairs dining room, enhanced by a soaring cathedral ceiling. The room can seat up to 35 people.
The Cuisine: Mediterranean cuisine is served up in style, including such restaurant favorites as chiochiolli pasta with house-made sausage, peas, and gorgonzola cream, along with rib-eye steak with garlic, lemon juice, parsley, seasonal vegetables, and whipped potatoes. Guests rave about new Pastry Chef James Distefano’s fabulous desserts, like the blackout cake with alternating layers of devil’s food cake and bittersweet chocolate mousse, topped with a chocolate glaze.
Policy/Prices: A minimum of 20 guests is required to book the room, and there is a set-up fee of $250. Prices start at $54 per person for a four-course meal. The space is available Saturday or Sunday afternoons.
What You Should Know: During the warm weather months, have cocktails on the outdoor patio, surrounded by beautiful flower, vegetable, and herb gardens as well as fabulous river views. The patio is covered and heated in the fall, and a winning winter option is having drinks on the upstairs balcony overlooking the public dining room below.
Lusardi’s
1885 Palmer Ave.
Larchmont
(914) 834-5555; www.lusardislarchmont.com
The Room: Lusardi’s warm and cozy private dining makes you feel right at home, only the vintage family photos on the walls aren’t yours but rather those of Mario Fava, who runs the restaurant with his father, Umberto. Originally a cigar lounge, the dimly lit space boasts handsome mahogany bookcases with rows of leather-bound books along with other Fava family mementos, such as the first bottle of wine ever opened at the restaurant.
The Cuisine: According to Mario Fava, you’ll find “Mediterranean cuisine from every region of Italy” here. Among the favorite family recipes brought over from Calabria is spaghetti alla Calabrisella served with roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, anchovies, fresh tomatoes, and seasoned breadcrumbs. An all-time favorite dessert is the Italian version of cookies ’n’ cream—homemade hazelnut ice cream with crumbled up biscotti.
Policy/Prices: Available Sunday through Thursday, with limited availability on Friday and Saturday nights. A minimum of 20 people is required to book the room, and prices start at $75 per person for a four-course meal.
What You Should Know: The bar at Lusardi’s can get pretty lively, but don’t let the noise level dissuade you. Close the private room’s solid mahogany door and you won’t hear a thing. (This also makes it a great choice for a surprise party.)
Also Consider
We’ve surveyed a large number of food and restaurant lovers to find out their favorite private dining rooms.
Here are their top choices:
Bistro Twenty-Two
391 Old Post Rd.
Bedford Village
(914) 234-7333
Seats: 70. Price: $50 per person (pp)
Edo’s Japanese
Steak House
4787 Boston Post Rd.
Pelham Manor
(914) 937-3333
Seats: 16. Price: $26 pp
Emilio’s Restaurant
1 Colonial Pl.
Harrison
(914) 835-3100
Seats: up to 90. Price: $32 pp for a buffet; $40 pp for a four-course meal
Flames
533 North State Rd.
Briarcliff Manor
(914) 923-3100
www.flamessteakhouse.com
Seats: 40-60. Price: $60 pp
Frankie & Johnnie’s Steakhouse
77 Purchase St.
Rye
(914) 925-3900
www.frankieandjohnnies.com
Seats: 130. Price: starts at
$100 pp
Harrys of Hartsdale
230 E. Hartsdale Ave.
Hartsdale
(914) 472-8777
www.harrysofhartsdale.com
Seats: 20. Price: starts at $49 pp
Il SoRriso
5 North Buckhout St.
Irvington
(914) 591-2525
www.ilsorriso.com
Seats: 50. Price: $38 pp
The Inn at Pound Ridge
258 Westchester Ave.
Pound Ridge
(914) 764-5779
Seats: 135 with dance floor, 155 without. Price: $100 pp
Iron Horse Grill
20 Wheeler Ave.
Pleasantville
(914) 741-0717
Seats: 18 in the private room, 60 in the whole restaurant on Sundays or Mondays. Price: $85-$125 pp
Jackson & Wheeler
25 Wheeler Ave.
Pleasantville
(914) 741-2000
www.jacksonandwheeler.com
Seats: 40. Price: $60-$90 pp
Macmenamin’s Grill & ChefWorks
115 Cedar St.
New Rochelle
(914) 632-4900
www.macmenaminsgrill.com
Seats: up to 175. Price: $65 pp
RK…An American Brasserie
22 Elm Pl.
Rye
(914) 967-8900
www.rkateliers.com
Seats: 50. Price: starts at
$100 pp
Ruby’s Oyster Bar & Bistro
45 Purchase St.
Rye
(914) 921-4166
Seats: 35. Price: $55 pp
Sam’s of Gedney Way
52 Gedney Way
White Plains
(914) 949-0978
Seats: 100. Price: $24-$32 pp
Sonora
179 Rectory St.
Port Chester
www.sonorany.com
(914) 933-0200
Seats: up to 85. Price: $50 pp
Travelers Rest
Rte. 100
Millwood
www.thetravelersrest.com
(914) 941-7744
Seats: up to 200. Price: $40-$110 pp including tax and tip
Trotter’s
175 Main St.
White Plains
(914) 421-5012
Seats: up to 54. Price: $55 pp
Valley Restaurant
at The Garrison
2015 Rte. 9
Garrison, NY
(845) 424-3604
www.thegarrison.com
Seats: 230. Price: Mon.-Thur. $65-$100; Fri. and Sat.: starts at $150
Vox
721 Titicus Rd.
North Salem
(914) 669-5450
www.vox-restaurant.com
Seats: 30. Price: $45 pp
Whitby Castle
330 Boston Post Rd.
Rye
