Manhattan Bride New York Restaurants

A lively restaurant and lounge, Opia has two private rooms that can accommodate from 30 to 100 guests in a setting with plush velvet chairs, lilac walls, and large arched windows.

“From your speeches, slide shows, and any other entertainment, to your toasts and desserts, we’ll make Opia the perfect place to be, in a room that’s lovely and inviting,” says Jimena Pereyra, catering sales director.

For your rehearsal dinner, Opia will provide hors d’oeuvres, a three-course dinner, and an open bar. “We’ll work with you to customize a dinner, buffet, or cocktail party to fit your needs.”

Choose from dishes such as tuna tartar, steak au poivre, rack of lamb, or their broad sushi selection. Then top it off with any of their delicious desserts.

“Every rehearsal dinner must be unique,” says Jimena, who has created casual cocktail buffets as well as elegant dinners for her brides, “and everything must be tailored to best fit our brides-to-be.”

The space is dramatic and unique. Famed French designer Etienne Coffiner designed the second floor area with six beautifully arched windows and 11-foot high ceilings.

“It’s separated into four distinct areas, each with its own personality,” says Jimena. The Main Lounge and Bar is casually elegant and also has several balconies for smokers. Just a few steps up from the bar is The Den, a semi-private section with low couches, padded walls, and lush fabric, perfect for small dinner parties or cocktails.

“At one recent rehearsal dinner, for appetizers we served roasted beet, goat cheese and spinach salad, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and tomatoes and basil oil,” says Jimena. “For entrées, guests selected either oven-roasted codfish with glazed fingerling potatoes and roasted fennel puree, pasta in a shrimp and tomato sauce, or herb-crusted rack of lamb, with vegetable risotto and rosemary au jus.

“After the meal we did a festive dessert tasting and offered the guests a selection of mini chocolate cakes, raspberry sorbet, and passion fruit pavlova with fresh berries.”

For another rehearsal dinner they mixed the menu up a bit and for appetizers served prosciutto and melon with a balsamic reduction as well as spinach and ricotta cheese ravioli in a light creamy tomato sauce with fresh basil, plus fresh buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes and basil oil.

“The choice of entrees included roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, vegetable fricasse and natural jus, or beef tenderloin served with spring vegetables and thyme in a red wine reduction.” Guests also could choose grilled veal chop with grilled asparagus and baby carrots with a thyme white wine sauce, or seared striped bass with artichokes, baby carrots, and basil oil.

“For dessert we served molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, pistachio crème brulee, and mixed berries with sabayon.

“It was delicious,” says Jimena, “and everyone was thrilled.”

Wedding Day

Opia