Whether you like your martinis ultra-clean and crisp or East River-in-the-’70s filthy, New York is the perfect place to drink one, and August is the perfect time.
Photo by Teddy WOlff
If you love New York City because of its frenetic pace, its bustling crowds, and its energetic nightlife, then you’re likely not a fan of August in the Big Apple. For folks like me, on the other hand, who start dreading the arrival of Labor Day in April and shudder at the thought of holiday season in Midtown, August is the best time to be a New Yorker, sweatiness aside. Wide swaths of the town have cleared out for the month. The streets, especially on weekends, can be shockingly, gloriously empty. The pace is slower — almost languid, at least when it’s not rush hour. And those bars and restaurants that are normally packed to the gills with the in-crowd, or in-crowd wannabes, are… well, they’re not quite empty, but during the dog days of summer you have a much better chance of getting a plum spot at the bar, especially if you’re knocking off work early because the sun is shining and the birds are chirping and your boss is somewhere in the Hamptons.
The martini isn’t usually included in the pantheon of summer cocktails, but I’ve found that August is a perfect time to have one, or possibly two. A good martini is cold, and thanks to advanced chilling techniques, the best ones are positively Arctic. Just what you need on a sultry summer night! And martinis are not for gulping down. They’re for slow, considered sipping, the ideal lubricant for conversation if you’re not alone, contemplation if you are. Perfect, in other words, for a drawn-out summer dusk — or hell, great for day-drinking too, especially if you have time for a post-’tini afternoon nap.
This list of places to enjoy a summertime martini in Manhattan is totally subjective and not by any means comprehensive. All of them, rest assured, have been vetted by me personally. Just about all of them are a little on the posh side — just because you can order a martini in a dive bar doesn’t mean you should. And while I mention a lot of these places’ unique twists on the classic ‘tini, rest assured they all make an excellent standard version as well. They also doubtlessly make other fine cocktails for the martini-averse. But if you’re martini-averse, why have you read this far? Trust me, go for the good stuff, that slam-bang tang reminiscent of gin and vermouth, as Frank Sinatra sang. And enjoy the month when we hardcore New Yorkers rule the roost.
Anthony Baker demonstrates the art of the pour at Bar Chimera.
Photo by Tony Sachs
BAR CHIMERA (550 Madison Ave). Never did I ever think I’d darken the door of a bar that’s part of something labeled a “clubstaurant” by the gatekeepers of culinary fashion. But Chimera, which is part of Cote 550, a Midtown expansion of the extremely upscale Korean steakhouse, hits all the high notes and then some. Chimera is also a whiskey bar and a wine bar, but the martinis are the star of the show. Skip the tables and sit at the bar and you’ll get to watch the drinks being made with flash and pizazz by the tux-clad bartenders. The glasses are chilled with bubbling and smoking liquid nitrogen, which is then poured dramatically onto the bar. The martinis themselves don’t lack for flair, either. Their martinis aren’t cheap (the least pricey one is $25), and the menu is relatively small. But it’s all potent, the garnish game is excellent, and if you’re a vodka fan, they make a great vodka-tini too (I admit it, I tried one). ‘Tini-adjacent cocktails like the Alaska or Vesper are top-notch as well. The bar food, including dainty spring pea lettuce cups as well as heartier Wagyu beef corn dogs and an excellent burger, makes sticking around for a second round almost compulsory.
A Cygnet Gin martini at the Ivory Peacock, as enjoyed by the author (that’s one of their crack staff pouring it).
Photo by Tony Sachs
THE IVORY PEACOCK (38 W. 26 St). If you love gin, the Ivory Peacock is a must-visit. And if you don’t think you love gin, it has more than 1,000 of ‘em — the biggest collection of gins in North America (and the second biggest in the world) — so the crack staff is just about guaranteed to find one that you will love. Needless to say, excellent martinis are plentiful here, along with a wide variety of other cocktails and non-gin spirits. Grab a seat near the door to soak up more of the summer sun (they open at noon), or saunter over to the multiple bars they have on the main floor and the subterranean level for cozier but still bustling vibes. If you like your martinis on the dry side, order yours with La Quintinye Extra Dry Vermouth, a favorite of mine that can be frustratingly hard to find, but is on hand here. And thankfully the Peacock has an extensive and very tasty food menu as well — martini-ing on an empty stomach is never, ever a good idea (and eating the olives doesn’t count).
WESTMORELAND AT THE FRICK (1 E. 70). If you’ve ever wanted to sip a martini in a Gilded Age mansion, now’s your chance. The renovated Frick Collection now sports a café serving very tasty light meals and afternoon tea. It also, saints be praised, includes a bar. Belly up and order a standard ‘tini or their signature Martini Amour, which adds a bit of parfait amour to the gin/vermouth/orange bitters base for a lovely lavender hue and a lightly sweet, floral flavor. The place is only open from 11:30-5:30, so make the most of those summer Friday hours… or play hooky from work one day. Either way, you should also tour the museum while you’re there, especially since the cocktail menu is inspired by various works of art therein.
The Dirty Snow Cone Martini at The Dutch. I’m not normally a fan of dirty martinis, but I made an exception for this one.
Photo Courtesy The Dutch/NoHo Hospitality
THE MARTINI BAR AT THE DUTCH (131 Sullivan St). How do I know I’m getting old? Because The Dutch is celebrating its 15th anniversary — making it a veritable SoHo institution — and I still think of it as one of the newer downtown spots. But the real story here is that they’re commemorating the quinceañera by launching a nine-seat bar dedicated to the martini. Curated by Darryl Chan, cocktail master and beverage director of parent group NoHo Hospitality, you can go with Instagram-friendly offerings like the Dirty Snow Cone Martini, shaved while you watch (and photograph) from a block of “frozen martini ice,” or you can assemble your own, with guidance from the staff, picking out your gin, vermouth, garnish, and degree of dryness. There’s also a variety of mini-tinis, perfect for when you’re feeling indecisive and want to enjoy a few different ones at a sitting. $2 happy hour oysters and The Dutch’s reliably delicious food menu provide the ballast to soak up the
CHEZ FIFI (140 E. 74). The main room in this charming East 74th St. townhouse is delightful for dinner, but if you’re martini-ing, head upstairs to the Salon, where you’ll find a more casual atmosphere, a little more light than downstairs, and a gorgeous, tiny bar. That’s where beverage director Noah Small and crew are whipping up some nifty cocktails, including a classic martini with Procera gin, the hot gin of the moment (give it a taste and you’ll understand why), as well as a summertime tomato ‘tini — no longer quite as trendy as it was a couple of years ago, but still just as delicious — and their signature bleu cheese martini, which… if you want a martini that tastes like bleu cheese, it really is quite astounding. And much beloved by the regular crowd at “The Feef.” A great place to feel insulated from the world and its worries, but especially in the dog days of summer.
The scene behind the bar at Bemelmans (note the art by Ludwig Bemelmans on the wall).
Photo by Tony Sachs
BEMELMANS BAR (35 E. 76 St). No list of this ilk could reasonably avoid mentioning the venerable watering hole, complete with wall murals by Ludwig Bemelmans (author of the Madeline children’s books), in the Carlyle Hotel. I love to enter the windowless cocoon around 5:00 on a summer afternoon and stumbling out a couple of hours later to find, much to my surprise, that it’s still light out. Martini-ing has been going on there for almost 80 years, and the crew, led by GM Dimitrios Michalopolous, has got it down to a science. There’s nothing wrong and everything right about ordering one in the classic style, but they also have a creative and very tasty rotating group of variations on the theme. My favorite is their Gibson, featuring Procera Blue Dot gin from South Africa, Cocchi Americano, Japanese umami bitters, and nori-dusted onions. Is it the best Gibson in town? It’s certainly in the discussion. Adding to the vibe is the excellent piano-trio jazz and the rollicking crowd, many of whom are out-of-towners staying at the Carlyle.