New Kid on the Block: Leonessa
Leonessa, the new rooftop bar at the Conrad hotel in Battery Park City — it replaces the Loopy Doopy Bar — opened in April and I am sad to say I have only been able to pop over there once, but it’s worth a visit. I was skeptical about the themed decor and the added walls and ceiling, but it is indeed atmospheric and still allows for weather (meaning it’s now year-round). Think of it like a screened-in porch with rooftop views, and then bring your next out-of-town guests — though not if they are price-sensitive.
The Conrad brought in entrepreneur and impresario Ariel Arce to create the beverage program. Originally a NYC theater kid (she went to LaGuardia then Michigan for a theater degree), she toggled to hospitality during the recession and bought her first bar in 2016. She turned that into Air’s Champagne Parlor on MacDougal and then opened Tokyo Record Bar in the basement. She also has Pearl Box in Soho and a caviar company called Big Pearl. The Times called her the “The Champagne Empress of Greenwich Village.”
The cocktail menu is a “love letter to Italy’s rich drinking traditions,” with spirits, wine, beer and soda organized into spritzes, bitters, frutte, martinis and specialty cocktails. There is no food for sale, but bar snacks are on the house — taralli, Marcona almonds, parmesan twists, tapenade. A cocktail runs between $22 and $27; a glass of wine from $20 to $30.
They are now open seven days and open for buy-outs Monday through Thursday. The space holds up to 70.
Leonessa
102 North End Ave.
16th floor of Conrad New York Downtown
Seven days, 4p to 12a
