Dining out in NYC when you're rocking a corset

August 18, 2015 12:56 PM

I recently bought a corset for a friend of mine. She looks killer drop-dead amazing gorgeous in it. We'd like to go out to dinner somewhere in NYC where such attire would be both appreciated and fit in. (She'll probably pair it with pants—nothing fetish-y. I'll do my level best to look sharp, but I can hardly compete.) All suggestions appreciated. Thanks!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Not sure what era the corset is supposed to be from but Lillie's Victorian Establishment in Union Square might fit? The crowd will just be the usual union sq after work types, but the bar's décor has a Victorian theme.

Apotheke on Doyer's St has a old-timey pharmacy vibe, vaguely jazz-age, could be fun.

I think Tammany Hall on Orchard St. sometimes does Gilded Era themed events, so that's one more option.

I don't know if it's as much of a trend these days but you could Google for steampunk themed bars, there used to be several around the LES and in Brooklyn.
posted by Wretch729 at 2:05 PM on August 18, 2015

Do you mean like as a cosplay-type thing or just normal dress? I doubt this would turn any heads anywhere in the city.
posted by Automocar at 3:51 PM on August 18, 2015

IME, eating and corsetry don't go together very well. I remember one play party where there was homemade gelato and several of us wound up playing "feed gelato to the corseted lady". Despite her being a fairly heavy bottom in most other circumstances, she safeworded pretty quickly.

Has your friend eaten while wearing the corset? It would be a shame to go to a nice restaurant and only then realize that she can't eat more than a few bites. (Unless that's a negotiated kink…)
posted by Lexica at 4:34 PM on August 18, 2015 [7 favorites]

Duane Park would probably be a good fit.
posted by Mchelly at 5:18 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

I would look at The Heath or Gallow Green at the McKittrick Hotel (home to Sleep No More). Atlas Obscura often has cocktail parties in unusual venues, like this one, so that might work as well. Or just find the appropriate Dances of Vice party.
posted by kathryn at 7:54 PM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Automocar: "Do you mean like as a cosplay-type thing or just normal dress? I doubt this would turn any heads anywhere in the city."

Normal dress. And yes, of course, we could go to a greasy spoon or Chipotle and no one would care. But she will turn heads. :) So we'd like to go some place where dressing to kill is appreciated.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:13 PM on August 18, 2015

OOOHHHH!! Totally agree with The Heath! It is so cool and retro it felt like going back in time.
posted by elvissa at 7:13 AM on August 19, 2015

Response by poster: We went to the Heath. It was perfect. (I'm a huge Sleep No More fan.) The food there is not great, but the decor and atmosphere are unbeatable.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:46 PM on September 8, 2015