Which Of These 4 NYC Outdoor Bars Should You Visit?
After a cold winter in New York City, one is likely to want to be outdoors as much as possible in the spring and summer. Fortunately, Gotham has its fair share of outdoor bars offering seasonal specials and interesting fare beyond as well as great atmosphere. But with nearly every horizontal space in the city turned into an eating or drinking establishment, how is a person to choose?
We spoke to managers at four of the city's top rooftop bars and asked each one to offer a take on why you should visit her or his bar.
Our contenders are:
— Dominick D'Alero, general manager of Refinery Rooftop, a Midtown bar atop a hotel of the same name
— Alberto Miranda, manager of Belle Shoals, a Southern-themed bar in Williamsburg
— Katy Grey, general manager of Bungalow Bar, a waterfront spot in Rockaway
— Kyle Gager, general manager of the Bowery Beer Garden, a rowdy joint near Chinatown
The Daily Meal: Tell me more about your outside area. When is it open? Is a full menu available there?
Dominick D'Aleo, Refinery Rooftop: Our outside patio area is open 12 months a year. From April to October, it's open-air with the best view of the Empire State Building in New York City. In the other months, we have a clear tent covering the entire patio area, which allows guests to enjoy the amazing view while staying warm and cozy.
Alberto Miranda, Belle Shoals: The outside patio at Belle is perfect to hang out and enjoy the spring weather. We have an area dedicated for games and picnic tables and a pagoda to sit back and enjoy some refreshing drinks or some delicious shareable bar bites. It's open six days a week — closed Tuesdays — weekdays from five to midnight and weekends from one to midnight.
Katy Grey, Bungalow Bar: We are open seven days a week all year round. We will always accommodate any guest who wants to sit on the deck throughout the year. We set up the deck the first warm day — which was in February this year — and we had a packed deck! The full menu is available everywhere; the outside bar has a limited menu on weekends only.
Kyle Gager, the Bowery Beer Garden: The outside area at the Bowery Beer Garden is a huge open air space and the perfect place to be outside enjoying a cold drink without having to feel like you're cooking directly in the summer sun. Decked out with vines and plants that frame over 60 TVs, it's the best of all worlds.
Any spring or summer specials for your establishment?
D'Aleo, Refinery: We are launching our Give A Sip campaign this spring and summer. We are creating a customized specialty slushie each month where for every slushie we sell, we are donating $1 to a charity. Each month the slushy and charity changes. It's something we are all very excited about.
Miranda, Belle Shoals: This year we are doing some amazing Michaladas. Our current one is with Montauk Watermelon Ale.
Grey, Bungalow: Every day is a special day at Bungalow Bar: Trivia on Monday nights, DJs Friday through Sunday. We will also do acoustic Thursdays come July.
Gager, Bowery: We just opened, so everything is special. We have an oyster happy hour every Monday through Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., and we offer four signature oyster shooters that I absolutely love.
What is your favorite item on the menu?
D'Aleo, Refinery: For me it has to be the crispy calamari with gochuiang barbecue sauce and furikake. It's always my go-to recommendation and has never failed to impress. The combination of flavor and heat dipped into the aïoli is unbeatable.
Miranda, Belle Shoals: My favorite drink right now is the French Bulldog, a can of Austin cider with lemon juice and a mini bottle of Grand Marnier bulldogged into it. It's just fun and tasty.
Grey, Bungalow: We make everything that we can from scratch, including sauces and dressings. If I'm being healthy, I love our watermelon salad paired with our tuna poke. Otherwise, I will go for our surf and turf, which is an 8-ounce filet mignon paired with 6-ounce lobster tail — or our signature burger, which is 8 ounces and topped with caramelized onions, bacon, and chipotle mayo. We get all of our meat from the local butcher Curran's Superior Meats.
Gager, Bowery: Well, I'm a big fan of the cocktail menu, which features cocktails named after some sort of neighborhood inspiration. Come in and ask! There are some great stories to tell. My favorite Oyster Shooter is the Westside, it's a watermelon juice oyster shooter with a piece of pickled watermelon rind! A surprising fan-favorite is the portobello mushroom burger — it's "make you go vegetarian" good and pairs so perfectly with a cold beer.
Still can't decide? Narrow it down with this quiz.