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The Prosecco & Paletitas at Ghost Donkey.
(Photo: Max Flatow) |
Metropolis Oyster Room & Cocktail Bar
31 Union Square W., at 16th St.; 212-533-2500
Fancy holiday nights out begin at the Metropolis oyster bar, tucked beneath the reopened Blue Water Grill, sporting a throwback vibe with martini carts and food by Per Se alum Adam Raksin. Jazz nights set the mood alongside themed drinks like a Tequila Toddy, featuring chamomile-infused tequila, a Holly’s Day with cinnamon rum, and a tequila-based cranberry fruit smash for six to eight people, served up with cranberries and fresh sliced apples.
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(Photo: Melissa Hom) |
Alamo Drafthouse
445 Albee Square West, 4th Fl., nr. DeKalb Ave., Downtown Brooklyn; 718-513-2547
Dinner and a movie get the mash-up treatment at this Austin movie-theater import, and this December they'll be screening holiday-themed offerings like Elf and Love Actually. Get there early to scope out the food and drinks, like popcorn with truffle Parmesan butter, edamame hummus with wonton chips, and fried pickles. Drink options include basic cocktails, but it’s smarter to pick one of the 30-plus New York State beers on tap or get a boozy milkshake, like the Mexican Hot Chocolate, with tequila, vanilla ice cream, chocolate, and a kick from habanero pepper.
Ghost Donkey
4 Bleecker St., nr. Bowery.; 212-254-0350
No time for a vacation? Swing by AvroKO's new tequila, mescal and nacho bar instead. Burros abound — even in the drinkware — and lights twinkle from the ceiling, transforming the Noho space into a blurry night south of the border. Try the mushroom margarita, made with mescal infused with a mushroom called huitlacoche, or a playful option like a brandy-infused salted caramel horchata or Prosecco & Paletitas. Have one of the four nachos on the menu or treat yourself with an off-the-menu truffle option. You are on vacation, after all.
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(Photo: Rael Petit) |
Delilah
155 Rivington St., nr. Clinton St.; 212-777-2520
The LES space that once housed Lady Gaga’s favorite dive has been reincarnated as a sleek restaurant and lounge, with blue plush-velvet banquettes, a back room with live DJs, and cocktails from a Mulberry Project alum. Classic Palomas, Penicillins, and the like, plus original cocktails like the vodka, St. Germain, and pomegranate Rivington on Fire (which is actually lit on fire) and the mescal-based Delilah can all be made large-format for groups, with a special offering for December: the adorable Desert Christmas, with vodka, brandy, homemade ginger syrup, and lime juice, garnished with a gingerbread man. Have one or five, and warm yourself from the inside out.
As Is
734 10th Ave., at 50th St.; 646-858-1153
At almost a year old this Hell's Kitchen beer bar by Atera alums is technically not new, but if you've never heard of it, it's new to you (and you should change that). In the industrial-yet-warm space is served a short menu of elevated bar food, also from an Atera alum, which soaks up beer from 20 rotating taps featuring local cult faves, regional and hard-to-find draught pours, and everything in between. There’s also cocktails like Negronis and Palomas on tap and this December season they’re adding some festivity, a frozen toddy, made in their slushy machine.
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(Photo: Daniel Krieger ) |
Bar Fortuna
2 W. 9th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-353-8400
When the weather gets cold, the people want to snuggle. Do it by the fireplace at this sleek and intimate new space, above the West Village restaurant Casa Apicii. With drinks overseen by Fabio Raffaelli, previously of Del Posto and Daniel, the focus is on Italian spirits, with an emphasis on aperitivo-style cocktails like the Americano. A few antipasti-style plates round out the menu.
