For most of us, the Met Gala is a long shot of a lifetime experience. Or at least while Anna Wintour continues to control the Met Gala invitation list tightly. It is the Super Bowl of fashion, where every year, the celebs in attendance do not disappoint. The theme this year was in honor of Karl Lagerfeld, and the attendees certainly did him proud. But after Rihanna arrived at 10:15 pm to shut down the red carpet, and nothing but the Vogue cameras rolled inside, the party was just getting started. So, as interesting as the Met Gala is, the Met Gala after-parties are where a lot of the action happens. Long after the last cat-head goes home (kudos to you Jared Leto), these Met Gala after-party spots are where to be.
The Mark Hotel
The Host: Karl Lagerfeld & Michelle Yeoh
The closest of all the Met Gala after-parties is The Mark Hotel. It’s especially convenient for those celebs who score a hotel room, as it’s a quick change of clothes. Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh co-hosted with the late Karl Lagerfeld’s brand and took over The Mark Bar and Jean-George for the occasion. As you would expect, it was the more elegant but still lively, of the Met Gala after-parties. (Comparatively speaking, of course”)
The Box
The Host: Diddy + Dojo Cat
File this one under one of the most spirited of the Met Gala after-parties. Ok, maybe tied for the most rowdy of the Met Gala after parties. It is by virtue at The Box, which is a risqué burlesque show on a conservative day. This is the party that was so crowded, that Kyle Jenner was held at the door. Diddy always knew how to throw a party. He did put the White Party on the map, which has spawned countless copies through the years.
The Nines
We like it when a go-to place, makes the list for the Met Gala after-parties. With a no-camera policy through the night of the after party, it’s where the low-key celebs like Bradley Cooper and Anne Hathaway chose to celebrate. This one was intimate, with just 100 people or so. When it’s not part of the Met Gala after-parties, The Nines is where to go for good jazz and a caviar baked potato. In other words, it’s like home.
The Standard Hotel
The Host: Janelle Monae
The Standard is one of the most beautiful bars in the city, so it’s befitting that each year, it’s the site of one of the Met Gala after parties. The crowd was the younger generation, with the likes of the Glee cast and the frenzy Billie Eilish created when she arrived.
Zero Bond
The Host: Stella McCartney & Baz Luhrmann
On a slow night, Zero Bond has a permanent paparazzi camp, so you can imagine what it was like as one of the Met Gala after-parties. They got an eyeful as Jared Leto arrived with his cat head, because why not? It is the Met Gala after all. Zero Bond is a private club in NYC that has a bar and restaurant. It’s part of the new wave of cool private clubs to hit NYC in the past two years. So of course with many of the guests in attendance with memberships, it was where J Lo hit the dance floor.
Mercer Hotel
The Host: Chanel
We’re saving our favorite for last, as it’s the party we would go to if we were lucky. The old Mercer Kitchen may be no more, but it was the place to be for all fans of Chanel. Which is every single celebrity in their right mind at the Met Gala. This is one of the Met Gala afterparties that was a coveted invitation, and celebrities like Gisele, Cara Delevingne, and Met Gala co-host Penelope Cruz mingled over pizza. It wasn’t the last stop of the night, but it certainly was one of the best of the Met Gala after parties. We can’t wait to see what they do with the old Mercer Kitchen space next.
