Last night I went to the soft opening party for Todd English’s new restaurant Libertine, located in the new Thompson Hotel at 15 Gold Street in the Financial District, conveniently located near the William Beaver House which has started its closings. Todd and his fiancé Erica are friends and clients, and my mother Emily and I were fortunate enough to get to come see his newest creation.
The hotel used to be a crappy Holiday Inn, and Thompson Hotels has completely transformed the space and I think it will become an instant downtown destination. The restaurant is named Libertine, and located in the lobby of the hotel. This boite is really sleek and sexy; convenient since there are rooms available upstairs. Parts of the floor are leather; there is an incredible Brazilian Mahogany staircase with Brass railing that leads up to a library/lounge, making this the perfect place to relax and knock back a few.
The food is English’s take on pub fare, and judging from the hors d’oeuvres served last night, I like Mr. English’s interpretation. He made seemingly everyday dishes stand out and sing. Waiters walked around with lobster rolls avec dollops of caviar, Kobe beef franks (never seen that before), Deviled eggs with crab meat, and buckets of Truffle dusted pop corn lined the bar, I must warn you although, the popcorn a la English is slightly more addictive than crack.
