On Thursday night, April 23, the swanky Spanish-themed restaurant Beast & Butterflies Downtown brought the passionate spirit and fiery energy of Spain’s iconic Seville Fair to the Big Apple for one special evening by throwing a wild party that featured a live flamenco performance and scrumptious tapas style food. It was a sensory overload in the best possible way.
The Seville Fair, also known as the Feria de Abril, is a week-long cultural festival held annually in Seville, Spain that usually starts two weeks after Easter. This year the celebration runs April 21 through April 26 and showcases vibrant, decorated tents (casetas) filled with dancing, music, food, and sherry. This fair is considered to be the most vibrant festival of all Spain, highlighting Andalusian culture by featuring horse parades with beautifully decorated carriages and colorful traditional flamenco fashion.
To celebrate this spring festival, Beast & Butterflies Downtown—located inside the ultra luxurious M Social Hotel New York Downtown at 55 Church Street—hosted an authentic flamenco experience that honored the enduring essence of the Andalusian culture that consists of artistic fervor and deep-rooted traditions. The live flamenco performance was captivating with dynamic guitar music and soulful vocals creating an immersive atmosphere that channeled the passion and storytelling of this centuries-old tradition. Guests were also treated to a glass of cava and sangria, enhancing the transportive experience.
Courtesy of M Social Hotel New York Downtown
Beast & Butterflies Downtown was the perfect location for the bash due to its sophisticated space and its views of the marvelous Oculus—the bird-like, white-ribbed transportation hub and shopping center at the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. The intimate restaurant also has the most classy vibe with beautiful banquets and a breathtaking painting of a matador. Overall, the space truly came alive with creativity and social connection that fostered culture through Mediterranean energy, artistic heritage and a deep appreciation for culinary life (tapas and wine).
Not only was the dancing impressive, but the food as well. Beast & Butterflies Downtown specializes in tapas. Unlike their sister location inside M Social Hotel Times Square, the Lower Manhattan restaurant focuses on bold Spanish-inflected plates and a curated bar offering an amazing botanical-driven gin program found nowhere else in the neighborhood. Standout dishes included the Jamón Ibérico, which is ham that was served thin, at room temperature, allowing the fat to melt slightly and paired with simply toasted bread, as well as poached prawns, seared octopus with roasted fingerling potatoes and tiger shrimp.
Larger plates included a roasted half chicken rubbed with brava sauce served with a roasted vegetable medley and steak frites, which we highly recommend ordering. The 10 oz striploin was juicy, tender and had excellent fat distribution. Every bite was flavorful and had a robust beef taste. It was served with herbed fries and Valdeon blue cheese. Another winner was the pescado con arroz that consisted of monkfish, saffron calasparra rice and piquillo peppers. It was hearty and very satisfying. The best dish at Beast & Butterflies Downtown was the skirt steak bocata on the Feria de Abril special menu. The grilled skirt steak sandwich was served with arugula, piquillo pepper, kumato tomato, toasted sourdough and fries. I can’t wait to go back and order it again. I could eat this everyday if I could!
Courtesy of M Social Hotel Downtown New York
While Beast & Butterflies Downtown is located on the ground level of the upscale M Social Hotel New York Downtown, The Knockturnal was invited to stay for two-nights at the hotel and the room was a true luxury hotel experience. We had an unforgettable stay. Everything was impeccable and in accordance with the highest standards. Our suite was posh and massive. The room was also extremely quiet and we slept so well. You won’t hear another person next door or above and there’s absolutely no noise from outside. Even the HVAC was silent, and you hardly know it’s on.
The bathroom was spacious with lots of counter space and had the best lighting. The room was also tricked out with everything you want—multiple power outlets for charging your tech devices, a large closet to hang your clothes, multiple mirrors to see yourself when getting dressed, a massive sofa for watching television, a mini fridge and complimentary bottles of water. The vibe was absolutely calming and serene.
The best thing about our stay at M Social Hotel New York Downtown was the spectacular views of the World Trade Center and Lower Manhattan. From the floor to ceiling windows, we had a birds eye view of the 9/11 memorial pool, One World Trade Center, which is the tallest building in the United States, and the new Perelman Performing Arts Center that features a unique, cube-shaped design clad in translucent Portuguese marble that glows at night.
Courtesy of M Social Hotel Downtown New York
When you stay at M Social Hotel New York Downtown, you feel like you’re someone special. With a super comfy room and the delicious food at Beast & Butterflies Downtown, you really don’t wanna leave. It’s one of our favorite hotels in New York and you will love it too.
