{"id":501656,"date":"2026-01-08T15:57:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:57:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/501656\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T15:57:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:57:19","slug":"the-first-ever-backgammon-cafe-in-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/501656\/","title":{"rendered":"the First-Ever Backgammon Cafe in NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

As New Yorkers grow increasingly obsessed with mahjong, the tile-based Chinese game that has recently surged in popularity on this side of the Atlantic, a new social club is vying for the city\u2019s gaming devotees as well. Founded by Yazan Assad, 7 Spring is a members-only backgammon club that feels like a true sanctuary for lovers of the classic two-player board game.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotograph: Courtesy of 7 Spring <\/p>\n

The space opened right before the new year at\u2014you guessed it!\u20147 Spring Street by Elizabeth Street in Nolita. (In case you missed it: the club’s name also refers to the game’s most common roll, a total of seven.)<\/p>\n

The luxurious destination comprises three main components: a caf\u00e9 and retail shop at the front, both open to the public, and a high-end lounge tucked away in the back, reached by walking through double doors shaped like a backgammon board. The distinctive space\u2014all burgundy marble and dark oak\u2014is accessible exclusively to members.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotograph: Courtesy of 7 Spring <\/p>\n

Expect a high-end experience through and through: players are doted on by servers who open backgammon sets, offer cocktails and hot towels and ensure every need is met at the custom tables equipped with built-in drawers and adjustable lights peppered throughout the space.<\/p>\n

Members can also participate in tournaments, sign up for strategy lessons or enjoy prix-fixe dinners from local restaurants. This level of luxury comes at a price, of course: according to Maxim<\/a>, local members pay an annual fee of $2,500, international members pay $1,500, couples $3,222 and women $777. Perhaps more importantly, membership is selective: you actually need to apply to belong.<\/p>\n

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\nPhotograph: Courtesy of 7 Spring <\/p>\n

At the moment, would-be members need an invitation to access a membership application, so the best course is to visit in person to ask about the process. Or simply go to enjoy the beautiful space, maybe invest in a high-end backgammon board while indulging in a perfectly crafted latte.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As New Yorkers grow increasingly obsessed with mahjong, the tile-based Chinese game that has recently surged in popularity…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":501657,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,10336,405,403,10337,5226,5225,5228,5227,1072,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-501656","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-categories-things-to-do","10":"tag-new-york","11":"tag-new-york-city","12":"tag-news-city-life","13":"tag-newyork","14":"tag-newyorkcity","15":"tag-ny","16":"tag-nyc","17":"tag-things-to-do","18":"tag-united-states","19":"tag-united-states-of-america","20":"tag-unitedstates","21":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","22":"tag-us","23":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115860304867537796","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=501656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501656\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/501657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=501656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=501656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=501656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}