Where to drink this summer
Lounge at Pod 39 Hotel
Lounge at Pod 39 Hotel
In balmy weather, midtown partygoers and backpack-lugging budget travelers alike can be found atop this Murray Hill hotel. Red brick and lofty arches lend Spanish flair to the outdoor terrace, which boasts spectacular views of the Empire State Building. Bar nibbles from April Bloomfield’s Salvation Taco, such as gazpacho ($8) or chips and fresh guac ($11), are also available. Sip a Salvation Margarita ($13), a mix of Pueblo Viejo Blanco tequila, fresh lime juice and Combier triple sec, rimmed with a zingy guajillo chili salt; or opt for a Devil’s Plaything ($8), a citrusy IPA produced exclusively for the eatery by Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. 145 E 39th St between Lexington and Third Aves (212-865-5700, thepodhotel.com)
Night of Joy
You’ll find this eclectic Williamsburg watering hole on an unassuming corner beneath the BQE. Make your way around the antique furniture in the dim lower-level bar and head upstairs to the buzzing rooftop patio, lined with mesh lanterns and box planters. Once you’ve settled in, peruse the handwritten list of cocktails, made using allnatural ingredients such as fresh fruit and herbs: We liked the jalapeño-and-black-currant tequila ($9); its spicy kick comes from a base of hot-
La Birreria
High atop the culinary wonderland of Eataly sits this 8,000-square-foot beer spot, a collaborative effort between lead brewer Peter Hepp Jr., Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione, and two Italian brewmasters, Teo Musso (Baladin) and Leonardo Di Vincenzo (Birra Del Borgo). Belly up to the bar and try one of the three house brews— two year-round offerings, and one seasonal—such as Patrizia ($10), an American dry stout brewed with Wellfleet oysters. Take your pint to one of the tables in the 15th-floor space overlooking midtown. 200 Fifth Ave at 23rd St (212937-8910, eataly.com /birreria)
local brews like Brooklyn Summer Ale ($6), as well as daily happy-hour specials ($4 Stoli drinks on Wednesdays, $6 beer-and-a-shot combos on Fridays). 249 Fourth Ave between Carroll and President Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-230-5740, therockshopny.com)
Gallow Green
The transportive vibe of Sleep No More, Punchdrunk’s interactive theater piece at the McKittrick Hotel, carries over to the venue’s rooftop bar. Named for a Scottish field where accused witches were hanged, Gallow Green has the feel of a garden party thrown at an abandoned farm. Fairy lights and tattered flags hang between verdant trellises; bartenders sling cocktails like the Vanessa’s Cup (which combines Rhum J.M. Gold rum, Pimm’s, sirop de canne—a The Rock Shop simple syrup infused with This bi-level Park Slope bar is best cinammon, cloves and vanilla— Gallow Green known for concerts—hence the name— strawberries, ginger and nettle but the hidden gem is the roof deck, a tincture; $14), served by waitstaff dressed in welcome respite from the overpriced elevated ghostly white. The best seats in the house are inside perches you’ll find throughout Manhattan. The noan artfully ruined antique railcar, whose empty frills space, which has views of such landmarks as windows are hung with destroyed lace curtains. the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower and One 542 W 27th St between Tenth and Eleventh Aves World Trade Center, attracts a laid-back crowd. (212-564-1662, gallowgreen.com) Friendly bartenders chat up the regulars and pour —Hannah Doolin and Jenna Scherer
Smith Westerns
Small Black
“Our favorite bar in New York right now is Sophie’s (507 E 5th St between Aves A and B, 212-228-5680).. It’s the most like bars we go to in Chicago—cheap beers in mugs, a jukebox, a pool table and Big Buck Hunter.”—Max —Max Kakacek, guitarist See them live: Music Hall of Williamsburg (718-486-5400, musichallofwilliamsburg .com). July 24 at 9pm; $20.
“It was decimated by the storm, but I’m hoping that Connolly’s Bar (155 Beach 95th St between Rockaway Beach Blvd and Shore Front Pkwy, Far Rockaway, Queens; 718-318-1714) will be open this summer. I’ll grab one of their classic ‘frozens’ and wander out onto Rockaways!”—Josh the boardwalk. Gotta support the Rockaways!” —Josh Kolenik, singer-keyboardist See them live: Music Hall of Williamsburg (718-4865400, musichallofwilliamsburg.com). June 30 at 9pm; $15.
16 TIMEOUT.COM/NEWYORK June 6–12, 2013
PHOTOGRAPHS: LOUNGE AT POD 39 HOTEL: VIRGINIA ROLLISON; GALLOW GREEN: PAUL WAGTOUICZ; SMITH WESTERNS: SANDY KIM; SMALL BLACK: AGNES THOR
Rooftop bars
pepper-infused Milagro Silver. 667 Lorimer St at Meeker Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-3888693, nightofjoybar.com)