There’s always somewhere new to go in New York City, and we’ve got your constantly updated guide to the hottest new bar and restaurant openings.
Alley Cat Amateur Theatre
The cellar of The Beekman Hotel is home to the latest jewel in Lower Manhattan’s growing nightlife options. Alley Cat Amateur Theatre is all sultry lounge meant to feel like a plush backstage area — the name is a nod to the area’s history. Veteran club connoisseur Serge Becker curates the live entertainment of DJs and bands. With room for 110, the spacious bar’s wraparound couches beckon for groups to settle in for the night over Japanese-influenced food by Tom Colicchio, Tokyo-style cocktails and a list of Japanese whiskeys. 10 Theatre Alley, thebeekman.com
Coffee & Cream
Need to start your day with something a little more fun than regular coffee? Oddfellows has found an interesting way to join the all-day cafe trend with Coffee & Cream, a Nolita ice cream parlor meets coffee bar. Choose from 12 flavors (including an always-on coffee and sweet cream soft serve) to be combined with any caffeinated drink you can imagine made with Stumptown beans — plus specialty teas and kombucha — with a range of flavored milks and whipped creams like smoked raisin and burnt marshmallow. Doughnuts by Du’s Donuts and pastries from Sans Bakery round out the options. 55 E. Houston St., oddfellowsnyc.com
The Woodstock
The Meatpacking District’s newest restaurant The Woodstock ditches the heels and cocktail dresses you need to go anywhere else in the neighborhood. This upscale rumpus room looks straight out of the ‘60s, where guests sit on brown leather couches and mustard yellow chairs, shooting a round on the pool table trimmed with fuschia felt or checking out the authentic Salvador Dali paintings. The easygoing menu of cocktails — all priced at $10 — served in funky “glassware” like lightbulbs and fish bowls, and to eat, a range of Neapolitan pizzas at $15 created by world champion pizzaiolo Nino Coniglio. 446 W. 14th St., thewoodstocknyc.com
Clyde’s
Williamsburg’s tiny but mighty Caribbean scene just gained a Trinidadian cocktail speakeasy. Pass through a postage stamp-size coffee bar and walk to the back door (there’s a neon sign outside to guide you) to enter Clyde’s. Skipping the kitsch in favor of dark wood paneling and low tables with a live DJ nightly (Jillionaire of Major Lazer is part owner), the bar is a rum-focused paradise with vintage cocktails by Cyllan Hicks featuring ingredients native to Trinidad, which also applies to the menu of finger foods. 178 N. Eighth St., Brooklyn, clydesquality.com
Don Angie
In a town with plenty of Italian restaurants, you should still run not walk to Don Angie in the West Village. Former Quality Eats power couple Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli (thanks for the chicken-parm pizza!) took us to hipster-grandma heaven with their take on modern homestyle Italian food at Dinnertable. Now they’ve got their own joint serving the classic Italian recipes you expect with modern twists all their own, with awesomely creative cocktails to boot. 103 Greenwich Ave., donangienyc.com
Vini e Fritti
Building on the success of his rightly acclaimed refined pizzeria, Marta, Danny Meyer has been building his own corner of Italy at the Redbury Hotel. After opening a Roman-style coffee spot called Caffe Marchio last month, the latest is a wine and bubbles bar called Vini e Fritti. The drinks aren’t limited to the wine list ($45-$155) — spritzers, digestifs and spumante command their own sections, alongside a menu of fried crispy bites by former Gramercy Tavern chef Joe Tarasco. And it’s open early enough (5 p.m.) to start your night and late enough (2 a.m. Thurs-Sat) to end it. 30 E. 30th St., vinifritti.com
Ferris
All of a sudden, seemingly every cool new project is opening in a hotel. The latest, simply called Made, has opened with a rooftop bar named Good Behavior (lucky you, there’s no karmic check at the door) and a restaurant called Ferris by former Le Turtle chef Greg Proeschel. He became Instagram-famous for presentation-conscious French food, but here he’s delving into New American cuisine — in the melting pot sense. The seasonal menu features blood sausage with grilled dates, beets with black sesame tahini, and mackerel with Italian plums and ponzu. The cocktail menu brims with garden-fresh ingredients, plus a worldly wine list. 44 W. 29th St., ferrisnyc.com
The Aviary
Anticipation could not be hotter for this high-profile import. Run by the team behind Chicago’s deliciously odd Alinea, The Aviary bar and restaurant (Japanese influenced) claims a seriously scenic 35th floor perch in the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle. Cocktails range from $18-$28, with whimsical names like Boom Goes the Dynamite and Science A.F. Any place with Michelin cred that keeps its sense of humor merits a visit. 80 Columbus Circle, Midtown West
Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge
The city’s newest — and largest — rooftop bar arrives just at the end of summer, but don’t worry — this “urban amusement park” is an all-season affair. Golfing among naughty animal topiaries and riding a carousel are just some of the fun times awaiting you at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge atop the new Moxy Hotel Times Square. The playful cocktails and menu of reimagined midway food come courtesy of the Tao Group. 485 Seventh Ave., Times Square
Rice & Gold
Dale Talde cast a wide net for his full-service restaurant Rice & Gold inside the new Hotel 50 Bowery, with a menu that roves from the Philippines to China, Bangladesh to Iran, Jamaica to Mexico. Start your night at the hotel’s standout rooftop bar The Crown, then head downstairs for modern fare spanning candied pork roast buns, rabbit vindaloo, whole jerk roast duck and Hong Kong-style waffles. 50 Bowery, Chinatown
