NYC is no stranger to jaw-dropping nightlife, as our fair city is home to some of the hottest clubs and lounges in the entire country. It takes something special to turn New Yorkers’ heads when it comes to nightlife, and the Red Pavilion is certainly making waves. Chinese teahouse and apothecary by day, Asian neo-noir nightclub by night, the Red Pavilion has taken NYC by storm.
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The Red Pavilion experience begins the minute you step through the door, with the immersive interiors whisking you out of NYC and into an underground scene combining Eastern aesthetics with 1960s furnishings. Guests can expect theater and cabaret showcases, wellness workshops, alchemical sound journeys, live music, intimate dance parties and more. Creative director Shien Lee, traditional Chinese medicine chef and author Zoey Xinyi Gong and general manager Orson Salicetti bring a fresh perspective to NYC’s hospitality scene, creating an avant-garde nightlife experience.
Located at 1241 Flushing Avenue, the 2,500-square-foot space boasts an Asian pulp-noir aesthetic inspired by Wong Kar Wai. Interior designer Jordon Zadfar created the space, incorporating red and green neon accents alongside traditional Chinese paper lanterns and show-stopping ornate glass sconces. Signature red lighting floods the space, involving a German expressionist feel inspired by the surrealist sets from the 1920s film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.”
By day, the space is a teahouse equipped with over 10 directly sourced, functional teas that offer traditional Chinese medicinal benefits, freshly brewed with traditional techniques and wellness in mind. A menu of chef Gong’s medicinal desserts, Qi-boosting bone broths, seasonal congees and more is available. Other culinary offerings include a chef’s table celebrating the 24 seasonal points of the year. Come afternoon, the space transitions to begin offering delicious craft cocktails such as the Moon, complete with Longan-infused vodka, lychee, Salers Gentiane aperitif and lemon. Zero-proof cocktails are also available. Come night on Fridays and Saturdays, expect to find a vibey nightclub, complete with excellent music, a huge dance floor and a crowd of New York City’s finest.
The programming varies by day and includes a vast array of experiences, such as weekly dim sum brunches on Sundays and jazz band performances transporting guests to old Shanghai on Fridays. The space plans to amplify Asian representation and the larger BIPOC community by creating a new cultural institution spotlighting theater, food, spirits and traditional Chinese medicine. Whether you choose to visit for a daytime tea, a theater performance or a night full of dancing, this Bushwick hotspot promises to always be a good time.
