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.<\/p>\n
Photo by Teddy WOlff<\/p>\n
If you love New York City because of its frenetic pace, its bustling crowds, and its energetic nightlife, then you\u2019re 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 \u2014 almost languid, at least when it\u2019s not rush hour. And those bars and restaurants that are normally packed to the gills with the in-crowd, or in-crowd wannabes, are\u2026 well, they\u2019re 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\u2019re knocking off work early because the sun is shining and the birds are chirping and your boss is somewhere in the Hamptons.<\/p>\n
The martini isn\u2019t usually included in the pantheon of summer cocktails, but I\u2019ve 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\u2019re for slow, considered sipping, the ideal lubricant for conversation if you\u2019re not alone, contemplation if you are. Perfect, in other words, for a drawn-out summer dusk \u2014 or hell, great for day-drinking too, especially if you have time for a post-\u2019tini afternoon nap.<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 just because you can order a martini in a dive bar doesn\u2019t mean you should. And while I mention a lot of these places\u2019 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\u2019re 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<\/a>. And enjoy the month when we hardcore New Yorkers rule the roost.<\/p>\n Anthony Baker demonstrates the art of the pour at Bar Chimera.<\/p>\n Photo by Tony Sachs<\/p>\n BAR CHIMERA (550 Madison Ave)<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> Never did I ever think I\u2019d darken the door of a bar that\u2019s part of something labeled a \u201cclubstaurant\u201d by the gatekeepers of culinary fashion. But Chimera, which is part of Cote 550<\/a>, 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\u2019ll 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\u2019t lack for flair, either. Their martinis aren\u2019t cheap (the least pricey one is $25), and the menu is relatively small. But it\u2019s all potent, the garnish game is excellent, and if you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n A Cygnet Gin martini at the Ivory Peacock, as enjoyed by the author (that’s one of their crack staff pouring it).<\/p>\n Photo by Tony Sachs<\/p>\n THE IVORY PEACOCK (38 W. 26 St)<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>If you love gin, the Ivory Peacock is a must-visit. And if you don\u2019t think you love gin, it has more than 1,000 of \u2018em \u2014 the biggest collection of gins in North America (and the second biggest in the world) \u2014 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>, 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 \u2014 martini-ing on an empty stomach is never, ever a good idea (and eating the olives doesn\u2019t count).<\/p>\n WESTMORELAND AT THE FRICK (1 E. 70)<\/strong><\/a>. If you\u2019ve ever wanted to sip a martini in a Gilded Age mansion, now\u2019s your chance. The renovated Frick Collection<\/a> now sports a caf\u00e9 serving very tasty light meals and afternoon tea. It also, saints be praised, includes a bar. Belly up and order a standard \u2018tini 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\u2026 or play hooky from work one day. Either way, you should also tour the museum while you\u2019re there, especially since the cocktail menu is inspired<\/a> by various works of art therein. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Photo Courtesy The Dutch\/NoHo Hospitality<\/p>\n THE MARTINI BAR AT THE DUTCH (131 Sullivan St)<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>How do I know I\u2019m getting old? Because The Dutch is celebrating its 15th anniversary \u2014 making it a veritable SoHo institution \u2014 and I still think of it as one of the newer downtown spots. But the real story here is that they\u2019re commemorating the quincea\u00f1era by launching a nine-seat bar dedicated to the martini. Curated by Darryl Chan, cocktail master and beverage director of parent group NoHo Hospitality<\/a>, you can go with Instagram-friendly offerings like the Dirty Snow Cone Martini, shaved while you watch (and photograph) from a block of \u201cfrozen martini ice,\u201d or you can assemble your own, with guidance from the staff, picking out your gin, vermouth, garnish, and degree of dryness. There\u2019s also a variety of mini-tinis, perfect for when you\u2019re feeling indecisive and want to enjoy a few different ones at a sitting. $2 happy hour oysters and The Dutch\u2019s reliably delicious food menu provide the ballast to soak up the <\/p>\n