Care for some cocktails while overlooking NYC? Autumn cools things off and marks the bittersweet end of Summer nights, but the Manhattan skyline is big enough to keep the nightly happy hours and after-work hang outs rolling. If you’re looking to meet friends, grab a night-cap or spend some one-on-one time with a loved one, this list has you covered. Check out one of these luxurious scenic rooftop vantage points and fully stocked bars serving up delicious drinks and bites, awaiting your visit to the city!
By Jahleah Santiago
Somewhere Nowhere
Somewhere Nowhere NYC, a sweeping bi-level lounge bedazzled with florals and floor-to-ceiling windows offering 360-views, 39 stories above NYC. Order cocktails on their open-air rooftop above the Renaissance New York Chelsea Hotel (112 W 25th St) and relish in this over-the-top nightlife destination’s art mapping, progressive sound and lighting technology and garden-inspired decor that provides a magical and immersive experience. Menu highlights like the Warm Lobster Roll with watercress, chives and citrus pair perfectly with their extensive wine menu as well! Pro tip: Beginning Halloween weekend, you can rent tricked out, heated igloos in the sky at Somewhere Nowhere.
Haven Rooftop
Haven Rooftop nestled up above The Sanctuary Hotel (132 W. 47th Street) in Midtown offers a vast cocktail selection featuring fresh drinks like the Solstice, made with strawberry puree, peach liquor, champagne and Tito’s and their signature Cloudtini, featuring a mix of lychee puree, St.Germain and Grey Goose Pear. The menu offers classic bites like a Tower of Tuna Tartare with wontons and sesame dressing along with elevated dishes like Branzino and Steak Au Poivre with peppercorn sauce for even the most ravenous crowd. Pro tip: catch their daily happy hour from 3pm – 6pm and on weekends don’t miss out on bottomless brunch at Haven!
Sushi Lab Rooftop
Sip Japanese inspired cocktails and explore the modern take on traditional sushi from Executive Chef Frankie Chen under a gorgeous floral-canopied rooftop at Sushi Lab Rooftop (132 W. 47th Street) at The Sanctuary Hotel in Midtown! One-of-a-kind drinks like their Strawberry Geisha featuring sake, shochu, yuzu, muddled strawberries and lychee or Spicy Toki, featuring Japanese whiskey, jalapeno, fresh lime and sparkling water utilize exotic fruits to craft a signature experience. The menu features creative Nigiri, Sashimi and Maki sushi and comes from hoteliers and restaurateurs Brandon Freid and Hank Freid. Of course the star of the show is their omakase experience, utilizing only the freshest ingredients. Order a seasonal sake flight or a bottle of Heavensake Junmai Daiginjo to commemorate a special night in the clouds. Pro Tip: You can head to Sushi Lab Rooftop rain or shine with a vine-laced canopied roof overhead to protect patrons from all of the elements.
Life Rooftop
As the crown of Le Meridien New York (120 W. 57th Street), Life Rooftop is an alluring lounge and outdoor terrace that offers guests two bars serving a variety of enticing cocktails complete with soaring views of Central Park and an array of delicious bites from Executive Chef Anastacia Song. The rooftop lounge is the perfect gathering place to escape your woes, easily accessible and open year-round, rain or shine. The exhilarating bar menu offers a variety of picturesque colorfully presented cocktails and mocktails plus bottle service alternatives for special occasions. One of their notorious drinks, the Rope Hanger Punch pitcher made with Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Rum, Grand Marnier and lime, comes topped off with flowers and a bottle of submerged bubbly. It’ll be served with a bang worthy of a special announcement or celebration!
Slate Rooftop
Slate Rooftop above the POD Brooklyn Hotel in Williamsburg is a dream for your inner child with games galore, comfort food and adult beverages. Their drink menu features playful sips from Liquid Lab NYC like the Jenga Gingersnap, made with earl grey vodka, ginger beer, thyme infused ginger syrup, crystalized ginger and fresh thyme. If you’re feeling more fruity and less stoic, their Apples to Apples Old Fashion, a mix of bourbon, calvados, honey syrup, angostura, apple slice and brandy fits the bill. On-site games include Sub-Soccer, Plinko, Giant Jenga and Connect-4. Pro tip: Head to Clinton Hall inside the POD Brooklyn Hotel for a Doughnut Grilled Cheese over piping hot tomato bisque from Executive Chef Darryl Harmon before heading to Slate Rooftop.
Katsuya
The internationally acclaimed Katsuya NYC (398 10th Ave.) in Manhattan West offers diners reinvented sushi classics from Executive Chef Katsuya Uechi and refreshing drinks like the Sakai Spritz made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Mizu ‘Lemongrass’ Shochu, House Grapefruit-Rice Soda or the Sencha Highball, featuring a mix of Grey Goose Vodka, Sparkling Green Tea Soda, Papaya and Plum Essence. The famed Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice which came from the creative genius of Chef Katsuya is a signature along with Baked Crab Hand Rolls, along with sashimi and raw starters, sushi, hot kitchen dishes, and robata. Pro Tip: Choose the $95 per person Katsuya Classic Signature Menu to sample the chef’s highlights.
