I'm planning a bachelorette party for my cousin next month. She is a lot of fun but needs to be warmed up first. I was thinking wine tasting, dinner then a club. Any suggestions on lively mexican restaurants (but no dancing on chairs like at mange y bevi)? Then a good dance club/lounge (no techno music)?

I was also looking to do something unique...but can't think of anything but the usual (80's prom, cafe wha, plays..etc.) I feel there has to be more than this. Would appreciate any suggestion.

Thank you!

Might help if you tell people where you are located!

Maybe that would be helpful..my apologies (first time user of this site)..Manhattan

Lively Mexican restaurants

Rosa Mexicana (2-3 locations)
Dos Caminos (2 locations)
Look on menupages.com for reviews, details, menus etc.

Can't help with dance clubs but you might have a look at sheckys.com and also hipguide.com

For something unique, you might want to consider contacting Accomplice NYC. They do something like a treasure hunt and will do private parties.
http://www.accomplicenewyork.com/accomplice_home.html

Spotlight NY is a newish restaurant in the Times Square area that lets anyone get up and perform. You get hair and make up done too...the whole 9 yds.
http://blog.joonbug.com/new_york/200...review_sp.html

How old is your cousin and what is your price range for dinner? Rosa Mexicana and Dos Caminos are really great restaurants but might be a bit upscale for your bachelorette crowd if you are looking to have lots of margaritas and get your cousin to warm up. Tortilla Flats is always fun Mexican for a party. Young crowd, very lively and decent food...not for foodies but great for a bachelorette party. For another activity, you could also fit in Dashing Diva http://www.dashingdiva.com/home/index.asp

Calle Ocho - i'm not sure if this is mexican or nuevo latino or what (since I haven't been there myself), but I heard that this place is a BLAST and is really good for groups. A bit on the pricey side though.

if you can give any limiting parameters on clubs/lounges, that might be helpful.

Other popular bachelorette ideas are Lucky Chengs (drag queens!) or Hunkomania.... I'm planning a bach party for later this year, so I've been doing all the research too!

Lips is fun too -- also a drag queen place, it's dinner and a show. Again, not for foodies but a lot of fun. If you choose Hunkmania, make sure to take your cousin somewhere for drinks first. You can stay there for dancing after (Culture Club -- 80s theme). Karaoke is another fun idea. There are places where you can rent a private room and also some bars that have it.

The food at Lucky Cheng's is inedible, but obvioulsy that's not the point. Calle Ocho is way on the UWS, away from the Meat Packing District, LES, and other fun club/bar neighborhoods. I've been to tons of bachelorette parties in Manhattan, so I can give you some ideas.

Flor de Sol, Stanton Social and Sala 19 both do dinner with set menus and bar packages. This is a really great option for big groups b/c everyone can pay you in advance and gets v. tipsy before going out.

Chinatown Brasserie or Buddakan are Asian (not Mexican), but very lively and in great neighborhoods for going out after dinner. They also offer set dinner/drinks menus.

If you do decide to go a club, may I suggest that you make a reservation and pay for bottle service? This really isn't that expensive when it's spread out over a group, and it will expedite you through the line and ensure that the ladies have a place to drop their bags and sit throughout the night. NYC isn't as democratic as other cities, meaning, a group of girls can't necessarily count on getting into every club. Most clubs start bottles at around $300 for absolut, and it goes up from there.

Right now, a fun club is The Box, located on the LES. They do burlesque and drag shows during the night, so it would be a fun CRAZY scene to show the bride. Honey, Marquee, and Sway are also fun clubs. Again, would highly recommend bottle service at any of these places.

I would avoid Culture Club, it was really cheesy and annoying. I know it's supposed to be cheesy, but the crowd really sucked.

Thank you all for your suggestions!! I'm sure that I'll be able to put together a great night out! Thank you all again!

Second for Sala downtown.

Ok so everyone on fodors is going to think i'm a perve, however if you want to get your bride to be an interesting cake, there is a place near NYU called Masturbakers. The cakes are actually really good. They have a website, I wouldn't look it up at work.

It's a joke by the way.

Gezz. I'll be shocked if this goes through.

I second Masturbakers, my friend had a cake made for me from there for my birthday. Interesting, to say the least.

I would avoid Lucky Chengs, was there for my cousin's bachelorette party. We were ready to leave after 15 minutes and mind you we're an open minded bunch.

Other ideas I can think of (having been to 12 weddings last year and the parties that go with it) Comedy Clubs, Brother Jimmy's Bait Shack, Gonzales y Gonzales, Caliente Cab Company, and one girl had her bachelorette party at a "learn how to strip" class.

Hope this helps!!