The Citiblog

Photo: Glasserie

The weather is heating up and so is New York City’s bar scene. Here are some place you might want to add to your list!

Glasserie
95 Commercial St, Brooklyn

Glasserie is launching happy hour for the first time in its 10+ year history. The new happy hour menu is available at the bar seven days a week from 5:30pm - 7pm. The $9 Happy Hour cocktails include "Sir Spritz" - elderflower, apricot, grapefruit, bubbles; "Persian Gold" - gin, saffron, lemon, tonic; "Moon Flower" - mezcal, bianco vermouth, grapefruit; "Wutang" - tequila, Earl Grey, Drambuie, lemon, “The Pomme Horse” (no ABV) - pomegranate, mint, lemon, soda. Also available, $12 snacks like House pita with za'atar served with a trio of dips: labne, smoky eggplant, and hummus. For gluten free patrons, sub pita with house crudite.

Photo: elNico

elNico at The Penny
Williamsburg

elNico is the new rooftop bar and restaurant on the roof at Penny Williamsburg, serving imaginative Mexican food and drinks with majestic views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan skylines. Created by Executive Chef Fernanda Serrano, the culinary menu is rooted in offering an innovative take on her favorite childhood recipes and Mexican cuisine, including classics like the Caviar Sope, Pink Mole and Short Rib Al Pastor. The cocktail program is led under the direction of award-winning mixologist, Leo Robitschek and beverage director, Cristhian Rodriguez, which complements the food with locally sourced ingredients and unique creations including the Bon Bon Old Fashioned, Panamericano and Santo Pepino.

Photo: American Bar

American Bar
33 Greenwich Ave, NYC

American Bar brings fun-yet-sophisticated street-side dining to the corner of Greenwich Avenue and W 10th St. The restaurant’s white-clothed tables and rustic wicker chairs add to the stylish and relaxed setting, and make for a comfy spot to pull up with a martini and side of crudités. Executive Chef Carolina Santos-Neves brings her take on timeless continental cuisine to a restaurant with the sensibility, design, and community of an old-world European club. Kyle Hotchkiss Carone, alongside partners David Rabin and Jeff Kadish, drew on travels to private members' clubs like Mark’s and Harry's Bar in London and Stateside institutions including Chasen’s, Mortimer’s, and Swifty’s to create a restaurant that exudes clubbiness without exclusivity.

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Photo: Everdene

Everdene
1227 Broadway, NYC

Located on the third floor within Virgin Hotels New York, Everdene is not just a restaurant and bar but a hub for entertainment, promising guests an engaging experience from day to night. Boasting a lively atmosphere adorned with botanical motifs featuring lush foliage and flowers, Everdene treats guests to breathtaking vistas, including a one-of-a-kind view of the nearby Empire State Building. With its New-American cuisine, expertly crafted cocktails, and stunning city views, Everdene stands as a quintessential rooftop destination.

Holiday Bar
10 Downing St, NYC

An iconic West Village haunt, Holiday Bar offers a stylish outdoor terrace that’s perfectly situated on the corner of Downing Street and 6th Ave. Tables are covered with soft white linens, and intimately lit by chic table lamps, creating an elevated-yet-relaxed setting for guests to dine al-fresco. Diners can enjoy a food menu that fuses seasonal simplicity with a new-wave twist; think ricotta sprinkled with piquant togarashi; crudites with green goddess dressing and anchovy aioli; and big bowls of salads, tricked up with fresh herbs and splashed with zesty vinaigrettes. Cocktails are unmatched, with a menu of both untouched classics and modern interpretations, spanning $10 martinis and zesty palomas, to vibrant G&Ts and refreshing highballs.

SUPERBUENO
13 First Ave, NYC

Recently named the #1 Bar in America (and #2 on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list), SUPERBUENO is a Mexican-American style cocktail bar with an emphasis on warm, welcoming hospitality and commemorating the moments worth celebrating - at all hours of the day. The bar opens at 4pm on Fridays, and offers its daily happy hour specials - La Buena Hora - from 4 to 7pm. Three favorite cocktails are on offer at happy hour pricing ($15.50): Vodka y Soda with vodka, guava, pasilla and soda, Fresca Tonic with gin, hibiscus agua fresca, strawberry aji amarillo and tonic, and Adobada Bam Bam with Mezcal, Adobada Falernum, pineapple, lemon and pineapple shrub.

Milady’s
160 Prince St, NYC

Award-winning cocktail bar, Milady’s, offers an idyllic outdoor seating area, with tables and chairs lining the corners of Prince and Thompson Streets. Imbibers soak up the spring sun with a line-up of vibrant cocktails, such as the Hawaiian Iced Tea, a crushable combination of Grey Goose L’Orange, Pisco, Lilikoi, tropical black tea and lemon, topped with Perrier; or the bar’s renowned Big Apple Martini, made with gin, vodka, apple-infused brandy. There’s also a selection of utterly sippable spritzes, such as the Milady’s Spritz made with Aperol, Santoni Amaro, Lambrusco Del Emilia Rosé, soda; and Puttin on a Spritz, featuring Italian Spritz, Agave Blanco Spirit, macadamia nut orgeat, passionfruit, lemon and Prosecco.

Ned’s Club Upstairs at The Ned NoMad
1170 Broadway, NYC

Situated on Broadway in the iconic Johnston Building, The Ned NoMad houses 167 bedrooms and suites, Cecconi’s, Little Ned, Ned’s Club Downstairs as well as Ned’s Club Upstairs rooftop.The expansive rooftop includes an outdoor terrace for eating and drinking, with a mix of dining and lounge seating overlooking the the Empire State Building and city skyline. New this spring, guests can enjoy a shareable food menu inspired by a Japanese Izakaya created by Executive Chef Brian VanderGast, alongside House of Suntory cocktails curated by Head of Bars Chris Moore. View the menu here. The rooftop is open from 4pm - 12am Tuesday - Friday, 12pm - 12am on Saturday, and 12pm - 10pm on Sunday.

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Photo: Balcón

Balcón Rooftop
114 E 32 St, NYC

Perched atop the 20th floor of the stylish The Marmara Park Avenue boutique hotel, Balcón Rooftop boasts a chic, open-air terrace offering breathtaking panoramic views of the iconic New York City skyline. Aside from spectacular city views, guests will also find refreshing, Innovative craft cocktails and an international wine selection. A rarity in NYC, Yeni Raki liqueur, the national drink of Turkey, is also being served. A menu of shared and small plates, by Executive Chef Ömür Özkan, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu is also available.

Photo: Nobody Told Me

Nobody Told Me
188 Front Street, Brooklyn

Nobody Told Me is situated in the heart of DUMBO on Front Street. The new cocktail bar features a cocktail program that prioritizes flavor with well-balanced drinks that are irresistibly appealing, along with a culinary program that includes typical bar favorites with dynamic renditions. Combined, Nobody Told Me is the perfect spot for dining and drinking this spring, especially with their great patio space that seats 65.

Photo: Leyenda

Leyenda
221 Smith St, Brooklyn

Leyenda is a James Beard Nominated pan-Latin inspired cocktail bar and restaurant in Brooklyn from industry greats Julie Reiner and Ivy Mix. The bar celebrates the spirits and imbibing traditions of Latin America, through creative and classic cocktails that are powered by seasonal ingredients. A line-up of refreshing new creations have been added to the menu for the warmer months, including Walking on Sunshine (gin, blanco tequila, kiwi, serrano-honey, lime house-made lemongrass soda); and Love Armadillo (Mezcal salmiana, botanical milk punch, Ancho Reyes Verde, celery, cucumber, tonic). With a breezy outdoor space in the back, Leyenda is a must for any outdoor drinking and dining this summer.

Photo: Lillistar

LilliStar
353 Bedford Ave, Williamsburg

From the award-winning team behind Broken Shaker, LilliStar is an indoor-outdoor lounge and cocktail bar located on the rooftop of Moxy Williamsburg with unobstructed skyline views of the Williamsburg Bridge, East River and Lower Manhattan. Look for good music, vibrant energy and playful seasonal cocktails like Hot Doggin’ It, a savory blend evoking the nostalgic flavors of an American classic (made with Vida, Lustau Vermut, tomato water and mustard seed agave) and the Nana Pudding, a clarified cocktail reminiscent of the comforting dessert with notes of vanilla and coconut.

Photo: Clover Club

Clover Club
210 Smith St, Brooklyn

Part neighborhood institution, part destination cocktail bar, Clover Club has been a fixture of New York’s drinking and dining scene since 2008 led by Julie Reiner, alongside Christine Williams, Susan Fedroff, and Executive Chef Sam Sherman. With a lineup of delicious bites and frozen cocktails – including the Cannonball Cola (Spiced rum, overproof rum, cherry cola cordial, pineapple, lime) and the King Snake (Reposado tequila, white rum, lime, passionfruit, cinnamon, ginger, peach) – Clover Club is a prime place to relax and enjoy the warmer weather.