A sleek, design-conscious cocktail lounge has quietly slipped into the newly renovated lobby of the Hyatt Union Square in Manhattan. Bar Sella now turns what used to feel like a pass-through entry into a neighborhood-facing spot, where locals and hotel guests can tuck into circular booths under sculptural lighting. Mediterranean small plates share the stage with classic cocktails in a room described as equal parts midcentury warmth and polished hotel sheen.
New York based Legeard Studio helmed a full gut renovation that reimagines the lobby as a place to linger instead of a transit zone. The redo brings in a Charlotte Perriand inspired bar wrapped in Verde Antigua marble, a sculptural plaster installation, a Bauhaus inspired stained-glass wall and a large-scale painting by Brooklyn artist Joe Henry Baker, according to Time Out.
The food and drink lineup is intentionally tight and unfussy, leaning on crowd-pleasers like a Bar Sella burger with bacon and blue cheese, garlic prawns in sherry and a classic Caesar. The space shifts from espresso rituals in the morning to aperitivo-style cocktails at night. On its website, the bar bills itself as Union Square's lobby lounge and spotlights Mediterranean-leaning shareable plates, per Bar Sella.
A Lobby Built to Linger
Design coverage notes that the renovation flips the hotel entry into more of a public salon, giving Union Square a street-level draw that does not hinge on who has a room key. The result is described as curated yet sociable, more like a neighbor's well-appointed living room than an anonymous hotel foyer, according to Design Milk.
What to Know Before You Go
The Hyatt lists the hotel at 134 Fourth Avenue, at the corner of 13th Street and Fourth Avenue, and the lobby bar is positioned as a street-level venue open to non-guests. For menus, hours and private event inquiries, check the hotel's dining page or the bar's own site; see Hyatt and Bar Sella for details.
