The Stanton Social Restaurant New York

The Stanton Social (New American (Tapas Portions) / Lower East Side / $$$)
99 Stanton St (between Orchard St & Ludlow St)
(212) 995-0099
www.thestantonsocial.com

The Stanton Social is a Lower East Side hot spot for celebrities and younger crowds. As the name implies, the restaurant is known for its social gatherings, whether it’s a birthday dinner (Jessica Alba had her birthday dinner here), a Friday night drink (the second floor lounge is popular on weekend nights) or an afternoon brunch. Because the restaurant caters to groups, this is not a place you’d go to for a quiet dinner; the raucously loud volume of the restaurant can become crushing at times. In addition, you’ll also note that there are very few bathrooms, all of which are unisex–be prepared for a wait.

The sleek restaurant was created by chef/owner Chris Santos, Tao owner Richard Wolf and Peter Kane of Happy Ending night club. Together, these three notable restaurateurs intended on bringing a hip dining and nightlife experience to the Lower East Side, an area typically known to for its cheap, hipster bars. The restaurant décor is an homage to 1940’s luxury textiles and fashions. The three-level space features a thirty-foot glowing wine wall, displaying over 2,000 bottles of wine in a herringbone pattern, fringe-covered walls, fine lizard skin banquettes, leather handrails and belt-strapped pillows.
Stanton Social is not the type of restaurant that you’d find people in suits. Nor is it the type of place you’d find people in flip-flops or running sneakers. The restaurant definitely caters to a hip, urban chic crowd, which can be observed watching girls in stiletto heels flirt with guys in button-downs and stone-washed jeans.

This modern New York bistro features multi-ethnic plates in tapas portions. Tapas are typically multiple small portions served on one plate, which are meant to be shared by a group (another reason for the “Social” in Stanton Social’s name). Among the most highly popular dishes are French Onion Soup Dumplings, Barbeque Duck Confit & Black Bean Empanadas, Kobe Beef Burgers, Lobster Roll Sliders, Grilled Apple & Brie Quesadilla, and the southern-inspired Chicken n’ Waffles. The diversity of ethnic backgrounds in the food provide a delightful contrast and support the idea of sharing plates among groups in order to try everything. Dishes range in price from $5 to $20 and vary in size. Plan getting an average of 3 medium-sized tapas plates (or 1 big, 1 small) per person, which arrives at approximately $30/person before drinks, tax and tip.

Due to the immense popularity of this restaurant, prime-time reservations (after 7PM any day of the week) are difficult to find unless you book several weeks ahead.

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