Lani Kai
Julie Reiner of Clover Club and Flatiron Lounge continues the tiki trend (Hurricane Bar, Painkiller) in this lush two-room space formerly occupied by Tailor. But don’t expect Zombies to get much play here—the “modern tropical” drinks were created by Reiner and bar manager Joe Swifka (the Flatiron Lounge bartender also responsible for tiki nights at bygone Elettaria) to evoke Reiner’s Hawaiian upbringing.
Jimmy
Soho’s newly opened James Hotel still hasn’t opened its restaurant, but it has unveiled its rooftop cocktail lounge, though the outdoor area won’t be open until the weather’s nice. Run by David Rabin, Larry Poston, and Johnny Swet of Hotel Griffou, the space holds 80 people, and will no doubt be filled once folks get wind of the amazing view. Drink prices average out at $16, with standouts including the Legal in Vermont, a bourbon concoction complete with ice made from cinnamon water and bark.
Bar in the Cellar
Heat-seeking crowds declared this subterranean space in the Andaz 5th one of the places to be during Fashion Week. Drinks are split between old-timey cocktails, like the Cellar Door (Pimms No. 1, lemon, bergamot syrup, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, and St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram), and the newfangled, like the Mexican Firing Squad (Herradura Blanco Tequila, lime, pomegranate molasses, and Angostura bitters), all developed by dapper mixologist Toby Maloney.
Kastel
This spot in the Trump Soho hotel is decked out with chain-link curtains, a faux-marble bar top, and a polished, track-lit floor. There’s a D.J. delivering low-key house music, and a bottle-service-friendly crowd. Cocktail standouts include the Pomodorino, a gin martini flavored with house-pickled tomato and brine, and the tequila-based Antique Apricot, topped with apricot marmalade.
Palo Cortado
This new tapas bar in Carroll Gardens is brought to you by the team of Alessandro Peluso (Bocca, Cacio e Pepe) and Alessandro Piliego (former GM at the House). The rustic space—with a bar topped with tiles from a 180-year-old church in Uruguay—has no hard liquor on the menu, but you will find a dozen sherries, four draft beers, Spanish wines, and delicious wine-based concoctions like the Cava cocktail (Juve Y Camps Brut, orange bitters, sugar cube) and the unfortunately named In the Sack (Morenita Cream Sherry, apricot nectar, OJ, lemon).