Art World Stars and Burlesque Dancers Toast Nadja Sayej at DejaVu in NYC

The New York art and media scene converged on November 12 to celebrate writer and ArtStars Podcast host Nadja Sayej at a vibrant birthday bash held at the chic new West Village hotspot, DejaVu. The evening was a high-energy affair filled with music, performances, and decadent treats, including Tsar Caviar.

The atmosphere inside the Mediterranean-inspired townhouse, the latest vision from creative director Barış Köroğlu, was electric. Notable Berlin DJ Marc-Alan Gray, known for his international residencies from Moscow to London’s Ministry of Sound, curated a dynamic set that kept the stylish crowd moving throughout the night.

A highlight of the celebration was a captivating burlesque performance by the sensational Olive TuPartie, who brought a dose of dazzling, old-world glamour to the modern salon.

Notable guests in attendance included Monica Elias, Eef Vicca, Brandon Cole Bailey, and Pedro Oberto, who mingled and toasted the birthday girl. Sayej, a celebrated author of eight books and a fashion writer for Forbes.com, is a central figure in the cultural landscape, known for her incisive interviews with A-list talent like Jerry Seinfeld, Salma Hayek, and Patti Smith.

Attendees were treated to a curated menu of luxurious sips and bites. The bar featured signature cocktails crafted with 21 Seeds infused tequila, The Barker Company’s famous espresso martinis, and glasses of Aphrodise sparkling rosé and Moët & Chandon. To complement the drinks, guests indulged in exquisite caviar provided by Tsar Caviar, adding a touch of opulence to the festivities.

The event, expertly captured by renowned fashion and event photographer Michael Ostuni, was a fitting tribute to Sayej—a night that blended art, fashion, and high-spirited celebration in one of New York City’s most alluring new venues.

The cocktail bar at DejaVu is a performance unto itself, with various rooms, each of which has its own personality. The DejaVu Cocktail, white rum, lychee, yuzu, lime, pineapple, and matcha captures the restaurant’s identity: elegant, ethereal, and quietly intoxicating.

Starting at dusk, DejaVu transforms gently through phases of music, dining, and performance, a choreography of moments that blur the boundaries between dinner and dream.

DejaVu is about atmosphere, a refuge where one may escape the noise of the city, linger in good company, and allow the night to take its natural shape.

More than a restaurant, DejaVu is a salon of imagination, a gathering place for creatives, artists, musicians, and visionaries, bound by a shared devotion to beauty and the art of experience. Each evening, guests are invited to “Enjoy the show” and, in doing so, to rediscover a moment, a taste, or a feeling that seems at once new and impossibly familiar.

Check out this new hospitality concept from creative director Barış Köroğlu, located at 394 West Street, New York City. Inspired by Mediterranean artistry and Ottoman grace, DejaVu weaves design, cuisine, and performance into an immersive experience of elegance and connection.