Chloe 81: In Search of the Next Beatrice Inn

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Here, still in the confines of 2008, we come to our first double-essential nightlife question of 2009: Is Chloe 81 the new hotness, dethroning current title holder, Beatrice Inn? Invoking the words 'Keith' and 'McNally' back-to-back moves the needle for us every time, so let's start there. Per the Sunday Styles section of the Times:

As with Beatrice [Inn], there’s an unmarked door and a descent down unassuming concrete stairs that leads to the dark catacomb-like bar, which brims inside with youth, beauty and good times. But unlike the comfortably run-down feeling at smoke-filled Beatrice, Chloe shines like a brand new penny. Red banquettes offset blinding white-tile walls adorned with bistro sconces, giving the space the feel of a Keith McNally eatery.

All well and good, indeed, as is the amenity of bistro food until 11 PM. But, as Stilettos On Cobblestone, the consummate arbiter of downtown hotness, noted to us in a solicited off-blog sidebar, Chloe 81 'looks too nice to be that cool'. Plus, The Maurer has been calling it the new Beatrice for months, which, by definition, is too long a period of fruitless declaration for it to actually be hot. So, there it is: while with Chloe comes a legit stylish eats entry (and a facsimile of the late Double Happiness), it does seem like we'll be dealing with that massive prick at the Beatrice door for at least another few months. Shame.
· A New Girl in Town, Stylish and Smart [NYT]
· Chloe 81 is Giving Beatrice a Good Fight[NYM]
· Plywood Report: Chloe [~E~]