I am generally fairly reserved when it comes to praise, but I absolutely cannot say enough good things about Jeno and the staff at the Manhattan Penthouse. I found this venue while looking through the NYMag wedding website, and it sounded too g...ood to be true - beautiful views, in the heart of Manhattan, delicious food, exceptional staff, AND reasonably priced?? Well, before I go into the specifics - yes. It is true. All of it.
First, the location: I am from New York City, as is my (now) husband, and 95% of our friends are family are local to the area. To have a venue in the middle of Union Square, essentially a subway ride away for most of our guests, made travel a breeze (and if you have out of towners, there are plenty of places to stay either nearby or at a very short travel distance). The space itself it absolutely stunning. The views of the city are pretty indescribable, you really have to see them in person - the photos on their website do not do them justice. We had both our ceremony and the reception at the Penthouse, so we got to enjoy the views during daylight, at sunset, and after dark.
The food: simply delicious. On par with many fancy NYC restaurants, both in taste and presentation. The tasting menu is put together with love, and it shows. The dishes are unique and plentiful.
The staff: I'm in my mid30s, and by now most of my friends (and I with them), have gone through the wedding planning process. There've been weddings in fancy reception halls, weddings in barns, weddings at destinations on beaches and on mountaintops... and let me tell you I have encountered NO other team who has been as wonderful, kind, accommodating, and FUN as Jeno and his staff. They are professional, knowledgeable, easy to work with, and full of ideas. They function as a well oiled machine, and the experience working with them made me fully confident they can make happen a wedding where you want to be in control of every detail, a wedding where you want to be as hands off as you can, and anything and everything in between.
We wanted to see the space in both daylight and at night before we committed, and not only was Jeno great about working with mine and my husband's insane schedules, when we showed up for the 3rd time to see it, this time with our moms, they actually fed us all of us dinner because there was a cancellation from a couple who was supposed to have been doing a tasting that night. That encounter was only a small part of our overall experience, but I am not exaggerating when I say that every question, comment, anxiety, crazy demand, and last minute revision we had was answered immediately, addressed with a smile, and resolved in the most efficient way. I think Jeno must sleep with his cellphone next to his ear, because he answered all our emails (many!), within an hour, even if he was traveling abroad.
We got married nearly 3 months ago, and our guests are all still raving about the views, the space, the food, the atmosphere, and "best wedding ever" gets mentioned a lot. It was important to us to celebrate our vows in a place that corresponded to our values, and I cannot emphasize enough how above and beyond our even most optimistic hopes this place and the people in it went. Jeno, we cannot thank you enough for helping us start our life together as husband and wife on such a memorable note.