Spring: the season when 90% of New Yorkers realize they haven’t seen their friends in ages.
So call ‘em up and get some sunshine.
In service of that occasion, we’ve rounded up the five best new rooftop bars in NYC. From 360-degree views in Midtown to a Williamsburg destination that’ll make you think you’re on the Italian coast, it’s time to get high.
Lemon’s
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The Wythe Hotel’s newest venue is like a jaunt to the sun-kissed shores of the Italian coast — but with pretty sick skyline views. The atmosphere is as vibrant as the cocktail list, which is laced with pineapple, strawberries and grapefruit galore. To boot, there’s a healthy selection of low ABV spritzers, so you can tipple through the day and still walk a straight line to dinner. Pick on light bites like salumi and raw oysters, and don’t sweat inclement weather — Lemon’s planned in advance with a retractable awning.
80 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn (map)
Website
Summerly
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Beachy vibes at the award-winning Hoxton Hotel brought to you by the Brooklyn powerhouses behind Five Leaves and Union Pool. The menu is seafood forward, with loads of shared plates like lobster rolls, roasted mussels and wood-fired clam pizza, but there’s also a surf ‘n’ turf burger if you don’t play well with others. And starting this past weekend, the brunch menu is up and running — hello, Crab Benedict. The cocktails are creative and very potent, from a mezcal-doused Smoking Gun to the bourbon-drenched Blackberry Bramble. Plus: large-format cocktails meant for a group, such as the One Drink & I’m Going Home! It lives up to its name.
97 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn (map)
Website
R17
Seaport District
If skylines are more your thing, head to R17, and its panoramic views of the Brooklyn Bridge, East River and Lower Manhattan. The menu is divided into three sections: Less, More and Sweet. The fare is small and elevated (the hamachi and Ora king salmon as big standouts), while the cocktails deliver straightforward summer excellence, from the Pamplemousse Spritz to a Kentucky Cooler. They also have a banger of summer music lineup that you should check out right here.
The Lookup
Midtown
Perched atop the soon-to-be Kixby Hotel, The Lookup is an indoor-outdoor concept brought to you by husband-wife team Chris Barish and Julie Mulligan of Black Tap Craft Beer & Burgers. You’ll be walking into 2,200 square feet lined with stadium seating, high-tops and lounges. On order: upscale bar bites including a whipped green chile beer cheese and rosé-infused Meyer lemon shrimp cocktail. And behind the bar, Dead Rabbit alum and Pioneer Mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer is crafting her usual off-the-wall takes on classics like a Whiskey Smash with boozy sorbet. It tastes like kindergarten, and it’s awesome.
45 W 35th Street (map)
Website
The Sentry
Murray Hill
Perched atop the iconic American Cooper Building, The Sentry is NYC’s newcomer to the members-only club scene. With a capacity for 200, it’s a made-for-summer, amenity-driven venue with pool that has the capability to transform into a giant jacuzzi for private parties. That could be awesome or it could be a petri dish, depending on the company. Experiential affairs on the roster include astronomy sessions, pool meditation and yoga classes. And for satiating the belly rather than the senses, The Sentry will offer a day and night menu of Aussie-meets-Asian fare. Membership starts at $1,600.
This article was featured in the InsideHook NY newsletter. Sign up now for more from all five boroughs.