A small entrance to a hotel, which you can't even see, is hidden behind a concrete wall. A rectangular space with two escalators that take you up to the main lobby. A green lit long escalator... I honestly didn't know what to expect... wow! That was my first impression. A huge lobby with lots of carved wood... the space looked like a part of a castle from the Medieval era... I then understood its originality when I found out that Philippe Starck was the man behind the design.
Walk to the reception, take the corridor and reach the restaurant. A high ceiling, dimmed lights suspended individually from the ceiling, a long bar and a chimney. The place is divided into several intimate corners with large wooden tables occupying the middle. A huge chimney makes it feel like home. This castle ballroom kind of place is definitely the Philippe Starck style, it could be home to King Arthur's knights.
I may have arrived at the wrong time... as I had to wait for 30 minutes to be served since the kitchen was totally empty. No one was there.
Located at Hudson, a New York City boutique hotel, Hudson Common is a modern-day beer hall and burger joint featuring a wide selection of local craft beers, inventive preparations of classic American fare, and soda shop-inspired specialty cocktails. The menu focuses on classic "Common" and unconventional "Uncommon" interpretations of burgers, sandwiches and fries, prepared with market fresh ingredients, and the beverage program is anchored by 16 taps, pouring the best locally brewed beers from Brooklyn, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, Southampton, and Pennsylvania. For spring and summer, Hudson Common's oversized glass doors will unfold into a grass-strewn patio, adorned with oversized planters, picnic tables, and strings of flashbulbs illuminating overhead. Guests can enjoy a Continental Breakfast Buffet offered daily in Hudson Common.
The concept here: place your order at the kitchen windows and wait to pick it up. I felt like I was having lunch at Shake Shack! Food options were written on a cheap plastic board - a ridiculous choice of preparations - and rude unwelcoming staff. The bartender on the other hand tried to solve the problem of no kitchen staff by running after them to come back to work. I ordered an IPA beer and waited to be called.
Lamb burger: a soft pain au lait bun covered with sesame, and filled with white cheese, cucumbers and the patty. Tastes different than your average burger; the cucumber crunch, cheese adding the extra mile of flavor then comes the meat...fatty lamb meat on a bed of sauce.
The fries have nothing super exceptional to them, well fried crunchy fries prepared with their skin.
The burger comes with a pickle. It looks like a homemade cucumber pickle, intensely flavorful leaving a long lasting kick around the palate...
It's a nice looking hotel one should see rather than a place to have a decent dinner. Check out the photos and see what you think.
