An Exclusive Glimpse of 71 Above, Downtown's Most Important New Restaurant

There's no easy way to define71 Above, Emil Eyvazoff and chef Vartan Abgaryan's genre-busting sky-high restaurant slated for the top of the US Bank Tower. The sky-scraping eaterycertainly offers some beautiful theater, but will also be a home for Financial District types to catch a drink before heading home, and for out-of-towners looking to enjoy a splurge meal while soaring above the city.

The above image is the first publicly released shot of what the Tag Front Design space will eventually come to look like (construction is still underway). There's lots of gilded brass detailing running throughout, while warm woods and elegant lighting give the place a casual Don Draper aesthetic, without losing its modern appeal. Each of the nearly 200 windows have been specifically designed to fend off the summer sun — they're actually fully controllable and can be tinted down to limo darkness, keeping the lounge-y mood all day long.

Each of the nearly 200 windows have been specifically designed to fend off the sun

Vartan Abgaryan's kitchenwill be its own work of art. Abgaryan will be working dishes from a wide expo station, sometimes even sending things to the tables himself. On the other side will be big names like Gregory Baumgartner doing pastry and Jon Butler acting as chef de cuisine.

PegJune 25as the opening date for 71 Above, though that could change. The tower's front lobby is getting a bit of a facelift and the restaurant's opening is closely tied to that, so things could move around slightly as the date gets closer. Once it arrives though, expect lunch and dinner hours, plus a focused bar menu, dedicated lounge area, and plenty of room for private dining. And no matter where you sit, you'll be able to count on those world class views.