Profile

This venue is closed.

Forbidden City is anything but forbidding. The horseshoe-shaped bar manned by friendly bartenders is populated by a mixture of regulars and a few of the outer boroughs’ finest. As is obvious from the Beijing-influenced name, it’s an Asian-inspired space: artifacts are displayed in recessed wall cutouts, a large red dragon is painted on turquoise tiles, and votive candles flicker in their openwork lanterns. A blithe Buddha overlooks patrons starting their evening with Better Tomorrows (Shochu, vodka, 7-Up, and lime juice), Green Hornets (green tea martinis), and of course, hot and cold sake. Around 11:30pm, the bar really fills up, and the larger groups who came early and grabbed the tables in the front windows are the envy of the place. Forbidden City’s a restaurant too, but the food is very hit-or-miss, so get your waiter’s recommendation to be on the safe side. — Amy Allison

Mon-Sat, 10pm-close