The club, Greenhouse, has been closed since shortly after R&B singer Chris Brown and members of rapper Drake's entourage squared off last month in the trendy club's basement lounge, called W.i.P.

Brown, his girlfriend, NBA star Tony Parker and others were injured. The city later agreed to let Greenhouse reopen with enhanced security.

But the club has stayed closed because the State Liquor Authority has suspended its licence, saying it has a history of fights and assaults.

The club said it was not fair to be virtually put out of business while hearings played out about the fate of its liquor licence.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Wright agreed in a ruling early this week that cited the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland, in which a topsy-turvy legal proceeding is "sentence first - verdict afterwards".

Greenhouse, which has 250 employees, was said it was grateful to be able to get them back to work. It will now inspect bags and replace glasses with plastic cups, in compliance with the judge's ruling.