Sixty-four floors up at 70 Pine Street — the 1932 Art Deco skyscraper rising in the heart of the Financial District — New York sprawls in every direction. Overstory’s terrace feels like a suspended catwalk above the city that never sleeps, where guests drift along its outer edge in search of the finest vantage point: the span of the Brooklyn Bridge to one side, the New Jersey shoreline to the other, and all around a skyline of towers locked in a silent contest for height.
Sky-High Sips at Overstory
Just one flight of stairs above the celebrated restaurant Saga, the cocktail bar led by Harrison Ginsberg seats only 24 guests, gathered around a pale-blush counter and framed by burgundy banquettes. In warmer months, the space opens onto outdoor tables, where signature cocktails set the tone — like the “Terroir Old Fashioned”, where reposado tequila meets palo santo and sea salt gathered at Fort Tilden. “In The Clouds”, created in collaboration with designer Jonathan Hansen, captures the feeling of drinking mid- air: Irish whiskey laced with Earl Grey, vanilla and champagne, finished with a marbled white-chocolate and strawberry crisp by Saga’s pastry chef, echoing the hues of sunset.
New York Cocktail Bars With a View of Manhattan
Quickly recognized as one of the city’s touchstones for cocktail culture, Overstory keeps pace with a bar scene that thrives on new idioms and restless style. Another view not to be missed lies in the heart of Manhattan, where Mo Lounge crowns the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental New York. Vast ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows open directly onto Central Park. Here, Executive Chef Sylvain Delpique brings his French heritage to the kitchen, while the cocktail menu draws on the Chinese philosophy of the Five Elements — wood, fire, earth, metal, and water — translating each into drinks with distinct colors, energies, and moods.
If rooftops turn drinking into a refined ritual, Attaboy preserves the legacy of those who reshaped modern mixology, while Dante on MacDougal Street continues to play with classics such as the frothy-textured Garibaldi, still a best seller.
Between Caffè Dante and the West Village
With two new venues set to open in late 2025, the group founded by Linden Pride and Nathalie Hudson also rides high on the success of Dante West Village, one of the city’s most compelling gastronomic addresses. International in spirit yet grounded in the ties between Mediterranean cuisine and cocktail craft, its space recalls the atmosphere of a European bistro. Elements evoke the cafés of Turin and Milan’s aperitivo bars: vintage photographs, wooden boiserie crafted in the Hudson Valley, green velvet seating, a carved marble counter, and inserts of Italian glass. In the evening, the space glows under lamps salvaged from the Waldorf Astoria, while outside, a terrace on Hudson Street pulses with the life of the West Village.
The drinks list revolves around twists on classics, with verticals dedicated to the Martini, Negroni, and Spritz. “The Dante Martini” heightens the citrus spectrum with cedar and lemon bitters, while the “Classic Negroni Flight” offers three house variations — Chocolate, Mezcalito, and Bianco. For a lighter, sparkling mood, the “Cosmo Spritz”, finished with rosé wine, nods to the cult cocktail of “Sex and the City”.
New York Cocktail Bars: Employees Only, a Haven for Industry Insiders
Just steps away lies another address woven into the city’s nightlife, loved by those who linger until dawn. For over two decades, Employees Only has been a sanctuary for restaurant and bar staff to unwind after shifts — casual in spirit yet attentive in detail. Founded by Dushan Zaric, Igor Hadzismajlovic, Jason Kosmas, Henry Lafargue, and Bill Gilroy, the bar has since earned global stature, expanding to many cities like Singapore and Sydney.
Today, under Frank Kurt Maldonado, it remains true to its philosophy of simplicity and genuine hospitality: a lighthearted atmosphere, seamless service, and a menu of seasonal cocktails and timeless classics, with the Manhattan reigning supreme.
Double Chicken Please and the Creative Vision of GN Chan
Drinking in New York means reading the city in the present tense. Every bar counter becomes a vantage point on shifting tastes, habits, and ambitions, and a platform for experimentation open to outside influences. Take Double Chicken Please on the Lower East Side, born after five years and nearly 8,000 kilometers in a converted Volkswagen minibus. GN Chan and Faye Chen have since transformed it into one of the most striking destinations on the international scene, merging mixology, design, and cuisine into a single experience.
The Venue’s Two Souls
Its spirit is dual: the lively Front Room serves cocktails on tap — seasonal riffs and clever spins on classics — while The Coop, a mid-century-styled chamber, stages liquid courses that unfold like a dinner: appetizer, entrée, dessert, reimagined in the glass. Through a technique of “hacking design,” familiar recipes are deconstructed and rebuilt as unexpected cocktails. “Cold Pizza”, for instance, is a tequila-based sour layered with Parmigiano Reggiano, burnt toast, tomato, and basil. The menu also nods to the founders’ roots with Taiwanese fried chicken sandwiches.
New York Cocktail Bars: the Innovation Behind The Other Chicken
Beyond drinks, the bar operates as a design studio, The Other Chicken, a creative duo of Turkie Tsai and Eye Chen, whose award-winning industrial design background fuels cross-disciplinary collaborations — spanning fashion, art, and projects with Blue Man Group, Uniqlo, and MSCHF, where cocktails merge with performance and installation. With these names earning international acclaim, New York continues to show a vitality that never wears thin. Each neighborhood thrives on a layering of tastes, cultures, and influences, ensuring the city remains one of the world’s most essential destinations for those who drink with intent.
The article first appeared on Coqtail – for fine drinkers. Order your copy here
