Ever think about going bottoms up in an old opium den? Or clinking glasses in a room made of gold? What about pounding back a few in a garden paradise?
What NYC lacks in space (raise your hand if your kitchen doubles as your closet!) it certainly makes up for in beauty — and really cool places to drink.
Here are 13 bars that look damn good without any beer goggles. Plus, like your parents always said, real beauty is on the inside.
SEE ALSO: This NYC Bar Offers ‘Old Money’ And ‘New Money’-Themed Drinks
Madam Geneva
A small and dimly lit spot just down from Saxon + Parole, Madam Geneva is decked out with lace-paneled walls, hanging lanterns, a gramophone, exposed brick, and couch-filled nooks. Named for an old-timey way of saying gin, this drinking den is known for ... you guessed it ... gin cocktails. Try the Hyde Park Swizzle (Beefeater, pressed lime, mint, Angostura).
Noho
The Campbell Apartment
This swanky enclave is something straight out of an F. Scott novel. Hidden in Grand Central station, the 2,000sqft digs give 1920s financier John W. Campbell’s private office a second life with Renaissance-inspired paintings, rich wood accents, and 25ft ceilings. Expect to find weary commuters sipping Prohibition-style potions. Pro tip: do Don Draper one better and get the Kentucky ginger cocktail.
Midtown East
Apotheke
Formerly an opium den, this Chinatown hideaway is a way cooler version of your 10th-grade chem lab. A nod to old European apothecaries, the lounge is outfitted with red velvet ottomans, old vials, a custom-built marble bar, a gold leaf-painted ceiling, and light sconces filled with herbal liquids. The mad scientists behind the bar stir and shake dizzying drinks like the Deal Closer, made with local Chinatown aphrodisiacs. The absinthe is made from a secret 200-year-old recipe using fermented sugarcane juice that’s sure to get you feeling good, too.
Chinatown
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