The Ravel's Penthouse 808: Queens' First BoutiCHIC Hotel! [New York]

by: Anne M. Raso

I recently got a coveted deck side table at the new Penthouse 808 eatery at The Ravel Hotel in Long Island City -- and Hello Dolly, the penthouse view of the Queensboro Bridge at night (and almost feeling as if you could reach out and touch it) is enough to make me want to go back! And I can do so year-round, because  this outdoor penthouse has a retractable, climate-controlled roof that comes out once Fall/Winter hits.

The UM-Amazing View! 

As for the food, there is a long list of sushi and flatbreads, which are done with Asian, Mexican, Italian and Italian "accents" (i.e., Carne Asada, Portobello & Goat Cheese and Kansas City BBQ flatbreads). The eclectic entrees (Japanese BBQed Salmon and Sesame-Seared Tuna) truly meet the "Asian Fusion" tag placed on Penthouse 808 by hotel developer Ravi Patel and the Vintage Hospitality Group.

For all lovers of vegetarian sushi, although none are listed on the menu, the chefs will put together a vegetable combo of your choice and make you a special roll (yes, we made him do that with carrots, avocado and cucumber, and it was ultra-fresh and delicious)!

There were only three dessert listings when I visited last week -- Molten Chocolate Cake, Flatbread with Nutella and Strawberries, and Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, but the Penthouse 808 management team tells financefoodie.com that the dessert menu has been extended to seven items as of today.  Being a sweet addict, I definitely want to see what they come up with, so I must take a trip back!

If you are not in the mood for food, you can also just lounge around and have drinks -- but the DJ (who is over by the bar) can be a little loud so you might want to take a table as far away from him as possible. The Ravel Hotel is Queens' first boutique hotel, so it is a brave undertaking, but I hear that many of the actors filming over at the nearby Silver Cup Studios (where The Sopranos, The Cosby Show, and many other top-rate films were shot) stop in for lunch and dinner at Penthouse 808 from time to time.

I would say that the bar crowd is the fairly young (25-35) "beautiful people" scene, but the vibe is much more about relaxation than a "singles ready to mingle" scene. [Ed Note: Basically, Anne is trying to say (nicely) that even if you are part of the 40 and up crowd (like her), don't feel uncomfortable about going up to Penthouse 808 for drinks or dinner!] The elegant minimalist lighting and banquets--not to mention the beautiful tropical foliage arranged on the roof -- gave me the feeling of being on the patio of the Delano or some tres chic South Beach hotel.

As a final note, I will add that it is only a very direct ten minute walk from any train that stops at Queensboro Plaza -- so foodies who are afraid to leave Manhattan should leave their fears behind and make this special trip to "boros"!

Penthouse 808 at the Ravel Hotel
8-08 Queens Plaza South
Long Island City, NY 11101

[Photos: Anne Raso]