From Scarface to Caligula, the greasy glitz of 1980s cinema reigns across Holiday Bar, a new nightlife destination in the heart of New York’s Greenwich Village. The convivial space stands out among the neighborhood’s F&B landscape with an eclectic design by Melissa Bowers that conveys American nostalgia and the opulence of Peggy Guggenheim’s Palazzo Venier dei Leoni building in Venice. “It started off heavy on the Italian Riviera Peggy Guggenheim circa 1980s,” Bowers says of the design’s muse. “Then when it shifted to adding a sushi menu, I was inspired by Molly Ringwald in the Breakfast Club—my personal youth—specifically when she opens her sushi lunch.”
Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the interior of Holiday Bar with natural light, bonding the design with a spacious outdoor lounge. Black and bone tones anchor the monochrome palette against which more distinctive ’80s elements, including chrome and glass pop. One of the focal points of the space, a monumental travertine bar is installed alongside a mirrored wall enlivened with a “Narcissus-cum-Tony Manero” neon installation by Greek-English artist Fotis Evans. An art collection that includes screen prints signed by Alex Katz further elevates the venue’s artsy flair along with contemporary lanterns that subtly nod to Noguchi.
In the 65-person dining room, custom linen and powdercoated steel light sculptures illuminate brutalist cast plaster cocktail tables and chrome-banded banquettes, while pink terrazzo floors honor the Guggenheim influence. “Having lived through the ’80s, I wanted an elevated ’80s décor,” Bowers adds. “A place where you want to meet someone for the first time—ambitious and bold.”
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