Where to Drink and Dine Al Fresco This Season
Save for slip-on shoes and sunglasses, an outdoor drinking and dining guide is the ultimate accessory for spring. And we’ve got eight exemplary spots to add to your ever-expanding al fresco list! From Enrique Olvera’s cool and casual Atla, to the newly minted courtyard at Ken Friedman & April Bloomfield’s Salvation Burger, here’s a few, awesome, al fresco eateries to savor summer…
Salvation Burger
Considering how tough it’s been to snag a seat at April Bloomfield’s everything-from-scratch burger spot, the debut of a brand new courtyard should prove a definite boon, for al fresco-adoring patrons in search of house-ground patties, wine coolers and seriously delicious slices of grapefruit-sesame pie.
Read MoreAtla
It may be the low-key little sibling to the venerated Cosme, but Atla outdoes its big brother with outdoor seating for 30; the ultimate way to enjoy Herb Guacamole, Kale Tamales, and housemade hot sauce-spiked Micheladas, topped with Evil Twin Geyser Gose.
Read MoreFlora Bar
Ignacio Mattos’ Met Brauer-located restaurant debuted its adjacent sunken garden this spring; the lush, gamboling greenery providing as exquisite a backdrop for Tuna Tartare with truffle, Purple Endive with pecans, and Straciatella with meyer lemon.
Read MoreBowery Meat Company
Not only is Josh Capon’s Bowery clubhouse a haven for carnivores (think Pork Ribeyes, Bone-In Filet Mignon and Colorado Lamb Chops), but it’s also ideal for sun-worshippers; sporting a 30-seat patio equipped with a generously-sized awning, so the only thing sizzling at this Bowery steakhouse will be the steak.
Read MoreThe Crown
Dale Talde and team will get to spend the spring/summer season bopping from rooftop to rooftop, thanks to The Heights (a pan pizza and cocktail-slinging bar, topping Arlo Hotel’s Nomad location), as well as The Crown; an indoor-outdoor street food-serving space, astride Chinatown’s Hotel 50 Bowery.
Read MoreSurf Shack
Harold Moore (of Harold’s Meat & Three) has taken over the seasonally-themed rooftop bar at the Arlo Soho hotel this season, creating a breezy, beachy scene by way of an outdoor grill, an oyster and rose station, baby pools filled with beer, summery fare like Carnitas Tacos, baja-sauced Burgers and Whole Grilled Fish, and frozen tiki cocktails, such as Rum Runners, Painkillers and Mai Tai’s.
Read MoreRoof at Park South
Glass-enclosed fireplaces, cheerful orange canopies, and dead-on views of the Empire State Building from a perch high above the city is a ridiculously easy sell, but the food and drink menus at this aerial bar have actual pedigree; thanks to James Beard Award-winning chef, Tim Cushman (Fried Artichokes, Poke Tacos, Cajun Poached Jumbo Prawns), and his longtime beverage director, Ted Kilpatrick (try the “Duke’s Martini;” ice-cold Plymouth’s gin, garnished with a mound of caviar).
Read MoreYellow Magnolia Canteen
Floor-to-ceiling windows separate Rob Newton’s Brooklyn Botanic Gardens’ Café from the cultivated vegetation outside, but the more casual Canteen allows diners to sit squarely amongst it; grazing on Strawberry and Quinoa Salad, Tomato and Mozzarella Baguettes, and Corn and Green Chili Chowder, on a patio overlooking the Lily Pool.
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