2nd Floor on Clinton
67 Clinton St., nr. Rivington St.; 212-529-6900
Enter through Barramundi, the raucous street-level bar, and go all the way to the back—you’re looking for the door marked PRIVATE. As likely as not, owner Tony Powe will be just beyond it, waiting to usher you into what looks like a family den, furnished with velveteen banquettes and shelves of travel books. Cocktails, crafted with admirable restraint by Kenneth Eberle (the former head of the beverage program at Lotus of Siam), range from a well-balanced Manhattan to the elegant ginger-and-honey-infused Topsy-Turvy, named after Powe’s great-grandfather’s donkey (both $14). It’s a small space, and Powe doesn’t accept reservations, but if you win him over, he’ll hand you a secret phone number to text next time for an available table.