If you’re a fan of Eric and Bruce Bromberg’s high-concept hospitality group Blue Ribbon Restaurants, you’re in luck! The group’s popular Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar, which previously operated at 34 Downing Street before closing in response to the pandemic, is finally gearing up for a triumphant return.
Blue Ribbon Restaurant Group was founded in 1992 by brothers Eric and Bruce Bromberg. Beginning on a quiet street on the edge of Soho, the brothers launched Blue Ribbon Brasserie in 1992 and have never looked back. Expanding from a humble SoHo brasserie to a prestigious multi-concept national hospitality group, the brothers soon invested in an eclectic portfolio of diverse culinary opportunities.
If the name “Blue Ribbon” rings a bell, you could be remembering them for a number of reasons. From the popular Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken restaurant on First Street, to the Izakaya Blue Ribbon Sushi restaurant on Orchard Street, the group is known for their commitment to quality no matter the cuisine.
Their Downing Street Bar concept was envisioned as an exclusive concept for cocktail lovers. Styled as a kind of omakase concept for drinks, patrons were invited to try out new cocktails and wines hand-selected by an expert bartender. Known for serving strong, unique drinks at a reasonable price, Blue Ribbon’s Downing Street Bar became a popular watering hole for Greenwich Village locals. While the bar closed down temporarily during last year’s pandemic, What Now New York is happy to report that the bar is alive and well, and is expected to return to New York by next year.
While the team is gearing up to reopen the bar to the public, there are a few minor changes they intend to make before doing so. Previously, the bar had no tables at all and exclusively served guests around its 8 person bar. Now, Eric and his team are altering the space to provide two new tables and an extended bar, increasing the potential occupancy from 8 guests to 14, nearly doubling in scale. With only 619 square feet of space available, the bar will maintain the sense of intimacy and exclusivity that patrons had come to love. The bar will still not serve any food beyond light snacks and cheeses, remaining a space for people who like to drink.
