Outdoor Hotel Bars to Check Out this Summer in New York City
New York is not only a financial and commercial hub for the United States but the whole world, providing office space for hundreds of global brands. The intensity of economic activity in the city has led to the emergence of a thriving nightlife, with the city boasting practically every kind of after-work entertainment imaginable, from immersive Broadway theatre productions to cozy, European-style pubs.
New York was, in many ways, the inventor of the modern concept of experiential nightlife (hence the moniker, “the city that never sleeps”). During the 1920s, working men wanted somewhere to go to socialize after a long day in the office. Entrepreneurs began creating what they called “nightclubs” – Boutique hotels and bars where you could get a drink, play a game of cards, and listen to live music.
Night clubs, however, weren’t able to blossom immediately. Prohibition in the 1930s weighed heavy on the ambitions of the average entrepreneur’s boutique bar, denying many the kinds of revenue needed to service the city’s sky-high rents. Punters just weren’t interested mingling while sober.
Once Prohibition ended, however, nightclubs were back, and this time, for good. The nightclubs of the mid-twentieth century reflected the cultural interests of the time providing a Boutique experience. Some hosted comedy acts while others showcased the emerging jazz scene. The goal was to provide patrons with a better experience than the club down the street. Before long, club owners were hiring bands from all over the city to play live at their venues, helping to circulate new money in the local economy.
Today’s nightlife scene is a legacy of both local and international influences. New York invented the modern concept of nightlife, and that’s still very much celebrated by leading establishments in the city today. You can find practically any Boutique experience here.
– StayBoutique
1 Gitano Jungle Room
Gitano Jungle Room NYC, Grand Street, New York, NY, USA
+1 (212) 465-2000
at The James
27 Grand St
The Gitano Jungle Room is a Yucatan-inspired boutique hotel venue in the heart of New York's Soho district within The James, New York. Walking into the Jungle Room is like stepping into a bar in a rain forest, with vegetation next to practically every table and standing lights in the shape of palm trees. The basic design of the Jungle Room is colonial, minimalist, and opulent.
The food is under the stewardship of head chef Yvan Lemoine, a man with an illustrious career working at a 2-star Michelin restaurant in the French city of Lyon before arriving the Gitano Jungle Room. Dishes on offer include Oaxacan truffle quesadillas, lamb ribs, pot roasted cauliflower, and seasonal tlayuda.
Images Rights to @grupo.gitano
2 Gilligan's
Gilligan's, West Broadway, New York, NY, USA
+1 (212) 965-3271
at The Soho Grand Hotel
310 W Broadway
Gilligan's, located just off West Broadway, is a bright, airy and breezy boutique bar and restaurant located in the yard of the SoHo Grand Hotel, serving a mixture of cocktails, brunches, and all-day cuisine.
The venue boasts stunning white bamboo walls, palm trees, and a wooden captain's wheel, reflecting the maritime heritage of the area. Diners can enjoy stone-fired pizzas, items from the center grill, and a range of seasonal, summertime specials, including Maine lobster roll with tarragon.
Gilligan's is the brainchild of Aussie entrepreneurs Nick Hatsatouris and Lincoln Pilcher; the two men responsible for bringing Moby Dick's bar to the Hamptons. With Gilligan's, the pair have their sights set on Manhattan, implementing a daily changing menu to keep guests interested within an immersive, experiential setting.
Image Rights to @sohograndhotel
3 Gallow Green
Gallow Green, West 27th Street, New York, NY, USA
+1 (212) 564-1662
at The McKittrick Hotel
542 W 27th St
Gallow Green is a garden-style boutique restaurant and bar located atop the McKittrick Hotel, a performing arts theatre close to Chelsea Park on 10th. Very much a laid back dining venue, Gallow Green serves a range of dishes, including kale and quinoa salad, pizzas, sandwiches (including the McKittrick Burger) and side snacks.
The standout feature of Gallows Green is the immersive setting. You sit under a kind of veranda overflowing with greenery, shrubs and beautiful flowers as if you had just stepped into a celebrity garden. The location provides much-needed shade from the glare of the sun during the day and comes to life in the evening light.
Images Rights to Gallow Green
4 Westlight
Westlight, North 12th Street, Brooklyn, NY, USA
+1 (718) 307-7100
at The William Vale
111 N 12th St 22nd Floor
Westlight is a 22nd-floor rooftop bar created by Chef Andrew Carmellini and his team, providing sweeping vistas of New York's Manhattan skyline. The venue, located atop The William Vale boutique hotel on 12 Street, Brooklyn, takes a step back from the bustle of the commercial heart of the city, allowing guests to admire it from a respectable distance.
Andrew Carmellini designed the restaurant to reflect the best of street food available in New York, paired with a variety of classic cocktails, rare spirits, and high-quality wines. The space itself is surprisingly vast, with guests able to sit outside in direct sunlight or peer out over the skyscrapers from the glass-lined dining room next door.
Carmellini, who worked at The Dutch, Bar Primi and many other top culinary establishments, directs menu concepts at Westlight boutique bar. Expect oysters, handmade burgers, specialty ribs, and unique dipping sauces. The aim isn't fine dining but to create a casually elegant atmosphere, well away from the buzz of Manhattan. Would you like a pleasant evening meal with views over the Big Apple?
Image Rights to Westlight & Photography by Noah Fecks
5 The Roof
215 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002, USA
+1 (212) 735-6000
at PUBLIC
The Roof At PUBLIC is one of the most exciting venues in all of Manhattan. The PUBLIC - a hotel by Ian Schrager - is sandwiched between New York's Lower Manhattan and Lower East Side, near to the Rockwood Music Hall and the Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Thanks to its location and design, guests can get a panoramic view of New York, able to see not only the World Trade Center and Midtown, but also the Staten Island Bridge, East River, and part of Long Island. Designers of the Roof at PUBLIC created it in such a way that guests would feel as if they were floating above the city like ghosts, disconnected from the hustle and bustle below.
The Roof boutique bar is open both during the day and at night and attracts some of the biggest names in international DJing from across the world. The bar is one of the sexiest venues in New York. It provides areas where guests can mingle, either standing or seated on one of the many outdoor sofas.
The bar is open from 5 PM onwards on weeknights until the early hours, and from 4 PM at the weekend, making it a great place to gather for sunset cocktails in the spring, summer, and fall. Floor-to-ceiling windows throughout mean that if you decide to stay inside, you never find yourself wanting for a better view.
Image Rights to PUBLIC Hotels
6 The Garden
The Standard, East Village, Cooper Square, New York, NY, USA
+1 (212) 475-5700
at The Standard East Village
25 Cooper Square
The Garden at Standard - a 21-story hotel in New York's East Village - offers what it calls a "dreamscape" environment, offering guests a unique experiential setting in one of New York's most artistic neighborhoods. The Garden is a little pocket of nature located close to the Cooper Square, not far from SoHo, Washington Square, and Gramercy Park.
Right from the moment you walk into The Standard in East Village, you notice the difference. Unlike Standard Hotels in other locations, the boutique venue reflects the eccentricities of the area. Before you enter the central hotel tower, you walk through an old-style New York tenement.
The Garden is a quiet little corner of the hotel, tucked away at street level behind an old enclosing wall. There are topiaries all around, designed by Opiary Studio, that create a visual feast for the eyes, and plenty of shaded seating areas to enjoy a spot of food or drink. If you love boule, then there's also a graveled area where you can practice your skills in true French style.
The Garden offers fresh popsicles for those who want to cool down after a day of marching through New York's baking hot streets, as well as a whimsical take on traditional English afternoon tea. You can also get a cheese board selection accompanied by cured meats and chutneys for those wanting something a little more substantial. Would you like to cool off with a popsicle on a hot summer’s day in a relaxed environment?
Images Rights to The Standard East Village