http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/dining/rainbow-room-is-set-to-reopen-on-oct-5.html 2014-09-29 20:27:02 Rainbow Room Is Set to Reopen on Oct. 5 The Rainbow Room, closed for five years, is scheduled to reopen Sunday after renovations that include a new cocktail lounge called SixtyFive. === The Rainbow Room was born with good bones, but that was 80 years ago. So when The centerpiece of the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza received landmark status two years ago, so it will look familiar to those who waltzed on the rotating dance floor as stunning views of the city swept by, or who feasted on shrimp and lobster from the Sunday brunch buffet. But when it opens Sunday, there will be a new sparkle from strands of crystals hanging at the enlarged windows, a fresh glow from the vintage chandelier suspended from a gilded ceiling that can bloom with colored lights, and a wall of mirrors as a backdrop for the bandstand. The renovations were done by Gabellini Sheppard Associates, the firm that redesigned other areas of Rockefeller Center, including the Top of the Rock observation deck. Though the space, which can seat up to 300 people, will be used for private events most times, it will be open to the public on Monday evenings and most holidays, when there will be live music and entertainment. It will also serve an elaborate globally inspired Sunday brunch buffet. The executive chef Jonathan Wright, who is from England, will offer a seasonal American dinner menu, with an emphasis on local ingredients. Choices will include sea scallops baked in the shell, lobster potpie with black truffles, beef Wellington, honey-spiced roast duck, baked apple soufflé and, of course, oysters Rockefeller and baked alaska. Opening a restaurant is a first for Tishman Speyer, a real estate company, so it brought in Blau & Associates of Las Vegas as consultants. The renovation also includes a spacious new cocktail lounge called SixtyFive with a silvery, faceted Gehry-like ceiling and a wraparound outdoor terrace, and the Gallery, a bar just outside the Rainbow Room. Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 65th floor, 212-632-5000,