Food Hall Union Fare Adds Literary-Themed Cocktail Lounge

Union Fare, the restaurant and food hall that stretches a full block from 17th to 18th streets off Union Square, is opening a new 70-seat downstairs lounge on Thursday. The new lounge Noble Room is a reference to the fact that the space once housed the original Barnes & Noble.

Banquettes will wrap around the room’s border, rugs will be installed, and foliage added, while the cocktail list — in full below — will offer drinks that pay homage to the room’s literary past. Spritzcurious, for instance, is a sparkling banana-based cocktail celebrating Curious George, and ‘Chata in the Rye is a blend of house-made horchata, rye whiskey, coconut, and root beer.

“We will have some DJs and entertainment in the coming weeks,’’ says Benjamin Wood, the restaurant’s beverage director. “I’d like to make this an experimental cocktail den and focus on showmanship behind the bar.’’ Union Fare will also be adding a new seasonal cocktail menu to the upstairs bar.

The self-described “gastrohall” Union Fare opened at 7 East 17th Street opened last year with vendors dedicated to pizza, poke, sandwiches, and more. It’s one of the newer food halls, which have opened like mad in the last few years.

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