Full Restaurant Buyout on Broadway | The Ellington NYC
Full Restaurant Buyout at The Ellington on Broadway, Upper West Side.
The Ellington seats up to 150 guests and holds 250 for a cocktail reception when the whole restaurant is booked as one party, covering the dining room and bar together with the Straus Room. On the Upper West Side at 2745 Broadway, this is the option for a group that wants the room to itself.
A full buyout is a different booking to a private room. The Straus Room seats 55 for dinner or holds 70 for cocktails, and suits a birthday dinner or a smaller work event. A buyout closes the doors to walk in traffic entirely, and suits a corporate holiday party, a milestone anniversary, a company launch, or a wedding reception where the host wants every guest under one roof.
The Straus Room takes its name from Ida and Isidor Straus, who lived on Broadway near 105th Street until they died aboard the Titanic in 1912. Straus Park still sits nearby at Broadway and 106th Street, a small piece of neighbourhood history built into the room's name.
Space and Capacity
A full buyout combines three spaces under one booking. The Straus Room holds 55 seated or 70 for cocktails, with doors that close and a sound system already in place. The main bar holds 40, a more casual section for guests who want to stand and move. Together with the dining room, the full buyout holds 150 seated or 250 for a standing reception.
Groups under 20 go through a standard reservation and a phone call rather than the events team. Anything larger goes through the events team directly.
Occasions That Book the Full Buyout
Corporate holiday parties are the most common reason a company books the entire restaurant. Companies that want a firm December date tend to book in the late summer or early autumn once the guest count is confirmed, since a full buyout avoids sharing the room with strangers at a company party.
Milestone celebrations, retirement parties, engagement parties, and product launches use the same format for the same reason, the host wants the room without sharing it. Wedding receptions book the full buyout once the guest list runs past what the Straus Room can seat.
What Guests Say
A five star Google review from Lindsey Corcoran, a Local Guide, describes coming back over the years for graduations and New Year's Eve celebrations, and calls it a "great neighborhood spot" with a regular live piano player.
Food and Drink for a Full Buyout
Menus for a buyout come from the kitchen's existing dinner menu, so guests eat the same food served every night. Larger parties lean toward the grilled filet mignon, the braised short rib, and the lobster rigatoni, with the butternut squash ravioli covering vegetarian guests. The bar runs the full wine list and house cocktails, with Guinness among the draught options. For a standing reception, passed platters replace plated courses, scaled from the same wing and calamari dishes served at the bar every night.
Location and Transit
The Ellington is at 2745 Broadway, between 105th and 106th Street. The 1 train stops at 103rd Street and 110th Street, both a short walk. Guests from Morningside Heights or Columbia University are roughly ten minutes away on foot, and the express 2 and 3 trains make downtown closer than the Upper West Side's reputation suggests.
How to Book a Full Restaurant Buyout
Enquiries for a full buyout go through the events team rather than Resy, since a buyout involves a custom quote based on guest count and timing. Put the date and guest count in the enquiry along with the occasion, and the team responds with a proposal. For groups under 20, a phone call is faster.
Private event enquiries: www.theellingtonny.com/private-events/
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you book the whole restaurant at The Ellington? Yes. A full buyout includes the Straus Room, the main bar, and the dining room together, with no other diners in the building for the length of the event.
How many people fit in a full restaurant buyout? The full restaurant seats 150 guests for a plated dinner or holds 250 for a standing cocktail reception.
What is the difference between booking the Straus Room and booking a full buyout? The Straus Room is one private space within the restaurant, seating 55 or holding 70 for cocktails, while a full buyout closes the entire restaurant to other guests.
Does a full buyout include live music? Live jazz is part of the restaurant's regular schedule, and hosts booking a buyout can ask the events team to arrange music for their date.
Other Venues in the Group
If the date is taken or the group needs a different setting, four sister venues cover the rest of the city. Ellington in the Park, one block west at Riverside Park, adds an open air option for spring and summer events. Tara Rose in Murray Hill has an underground speakeasy for private hire with no venue fee, suited to a smaller group. Tara Mor sits one minute from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, useful for a holiday party built around a game or a show. The Red Lion on Bleecker Street runs live music seven nights a week, for a group that wants a livelier evening than a seated dinner.