A new bar has arrived in New York’s East Village, and it’s bringing a slice of 1980s executive glamour with it. Limo Bar has opened with a design concept that trades literal limousine references for something more refined: the polished elegance of executive town cars from decades past. It reads like a country club by day and a lobby bar by night.
The bar was founded by Reed Adelson of Virginia’s, with beverage partners Ian Alexander and Mario Firmani, both former leads at the Dead Rabbit, handling the drinks program. Jack Berry, known for his work with Ray’s and Lambert’s Beer, served as creative and brand partner and conceptualized the design.
Leaning into mood at Limo Bar
To bring Limo Bar to life, Berry worked alongside designer Julie Roberts. Together, they created a room defined by warm wood paneling, mirrors, privacy curtains, and rich, saturated tones, an interior that leans into mood rather than mimicry.
Gold accents appear throughout the space as a nod to iconic New York institutions, standing in contrast against black-and-white photography layered across the walls. The walls are covered with framed scans of vintage private car service brochures, automobile auction catalogues, paparazzi shots of iconic limousine moments, and personal photos of friends and family riding in limos—reinforcing the idea that everyone has a limo story of their own.
Throughout the room, slatted mirrors and linear motifs repeat in lines and stripes, an echo of the stripes often seen along the sides of limousines.
Centerpieces that tie the space together
The design’s centerpiece hangs above a corner booth in the house: a commissioned painting of a limousine, inspired by an image from a private car service in Detroit in the ’80s. The piece was created by Joseph Kavalec, an artist and musician in the band Caamp, and gives the room a focal point that ties its nostalgic references together.
At the center of the back bar sits a vanity mirror that reflects the energy of Hollywood’s golden age. The mirror gives the room a shot of glamour, evoking the feeling of getting ready to go on stage or walk a red carpet. It’s meant to revive a lost art: getting ready in your boudoir for a big night out.
