throwing a surprise party - need a great room

[pubber]

Looking to throw a surprise 30th. We are all from NYC and appreciate good food. Budget is 2-3K for about 50 people. Looking for a restaurant that has a private room that is good for a "surprise", so that the element is not ruined when we first walk in.

Prefer a sit down dinner in a lively place that has a good bar to hang out at after dinner (in a perfect world, but not required). All cuisine except Asian would be considered.

Thanks!

[hkasdan]

Try Centro Vinoteca in the West Village at 7th and Bleeker. I just did a food tour of the neighborhood and saw the upstairs room that they use for special events... it's gorgeous. The best part is that you will walk in on the street level (which is the regular restaurant) so you could pass it off as just a regular night going to dinner. They serve a mean menu of tasty bites (truffle deviled eggs, bacon wrapped dates stuffed with gorgonzola, etc.) which would translate into a great, inexpensive menu for guests.

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Centro Vinoteca
74 7th Avenue South, New York, NY 10014

[Simon]

hi...on that budget it might a little tricky (if the 3K is to include wine, dessert, tax, and tip)...Keens Chophouse has wonderful private rooms, an amazing bar, and old-NYC vibe, but i'd guess it'd be well over that budget...

Another option to consider w/ 50 people is rent out an entire small restaurant for a couple hours (rather than get a private room)...i'd look into cute rustic Italian places like Malatesta or Cacio e Vino (while neither of those have bars, they are nearby to many good bars)...and La Nacional might be a possibility if Spanish/tapas/paella sounds good...

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Malatesta
649 Washington St, New York, NY 10014

Keens
72 West 36th St., New York, NY 10018

La Nacional
239 W 14th St, New York, NY 10011

Cacio e Vino
80 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003

[sbermudez]

"El Quijote" Great restaurant, with a separate rooms that can sit 50. Excellent food, quirky place and affordable. Best paella and seafood!