Some people see The Gates and call "elitism". We see a lounge like this and think "we absolutely have to go there". What sets The Gates apart from similar-yet-failed ventures in cities lesser cities like Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles (yeah, I said it) is that it aims to cultivate an image as the place to be, and it actually has the cachet to be able to do it. Taking over the former space of the Biltmore Room (one of the most luxurious restaurants in New York City), The Gates combines opulence, class, and no-way-you're-getting-past-the-doorman credibility.

You know a place is swanky when you actually have to walk past a massive brass gate in order to get inside. You have to hand it to New York nightlife veterans Danny Kane, Redd Stylez, and Rod Surut; they've got massive cojones. The Biltmore Room was world-renowned for its over-the-top lavishness, but it was so expensive that it couldn't survive. Rather than succumb to the current "casually upscale" trend, the group retained much of the ridiculously ornate décor, and, if you can imagine it, turned up the heat.

The overarching material motif is antique marble, while features like a working fireplace, a magnificent art deco phone booth (now a soundproof cell phone booth), and elegant banquettes with liftable lids are the stuff that legends are made of. The marble walls alone have been valued at $2.4 million, and the rest of the design (including the heavy use of brass) is surely not far behind. In a place like The Gates, money isn't an object. If it is, you're in the wrong place.

But that's okay, because there's a good chance you won't get in anyways (sorry). The Gates is unapologetic in its privileging of those special few. The lounge is pioneering an "ambassador" program in which a chosen few (about 125) of New York's most powerful and recognizable will be given special access and privileges to the space, and in turn help determine other ambassadors. Think that treehouse with the "No Homers" sign, and you're on the right track.

The "lucky ones" will be further forced to shell out the big bucks. The club will sell bottle service to those who want it, but their bread and butter are $16 cocktails from the Paolo Vodtano designed drink list. Meanwhile, a simple menu of upscale creations like Bacon and Oyster Hushpuppies, "Lobster Thermidor" Grilled Cheese, and Flat Iron Steak Sliders attempt to redefine the "pub food" concept.