Nightclub & Bar 2012 Ultra-Lounge of the Year Darby Downstairs NYC

Darby Downstairs, a 1,400-square-foot nightlife venture from Butter Group’s Richie Akiva, Scott Sartiano and Ronnie Madra, opened its doors in Spring 2011. Darby Downstairs is more than just a subterranean sister to neighboring eatery, The Darby Restaurant. The basement-level cocktail lounge with a speakeasy sensibility is adorned in brown leather banquets and a gold lacquer honey-comb cage that spans the room’s walls, ceiling and lacquered oak bar.

Here, Executive Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli showcases another set of tools in her culinary arsenal with a delectable light fares menu that includes classic dishes, such as the French Ham and Gruyere Cheese Panini with Dijon Mustard, the Main Crabcakes and Grilled Beef Sliders with Aged Cheddar and Relish.

Accompanying chef’s menu is a selection of handcrafted cocktails, including the Floozie, the Pretty Boy Floyd and the Tin Lizzy, created by expert in-house mixologists. Created by Darby Downstairs mixologist Justin Crowther, the Strawberry Blonde cocktail recently was added to the menu after its debut and win in the Summer of SVEDKA mixology competition.

The lounge, accessible through a second entrance separate from the upstairs restaurant, accommodates up to 200 people for after-work cocktails or intimate after-hours parties, during which a stylish crowd can enjoy all genres of music spanning from ’70s funk to present-day hip hop.

—Megan Hernandez

Type: Commercial – Nightclub
Location: 244 W 14th St, New York, NY 10011
Owner:  Butter Group – Client: Dizon Collective
Building Status: built in 2011
Number of floors: 2 Site size:  1400 sqft
Site type: urban
Budget total:  1500000 USD

Responsibilities:  Concept Design, Fabrication Drawings, Rendering