Go Big in the Big Apple: Here’s Where to Celebrate with a Cocktail in NYC

So you wanna go out and celebrate with a cocktail in New York City?

That’s my mission top of mind as I look out the window onto the Big Apple from my perch at the Pendry Manhattan West, with soothing 70s singer-songwriters lushly echoing out of my in-room TV. Located in the shadow of the city’s Hudson Yards neighborhood and Madison Square Garden, the Pendry here is rooted in its warm and stylish California roots. It’s also the perfect homebase for my boozy adventure to find the classiest joints in and around town, worthy of a splurge.

No, I’m not talking about dives with beer and drinks mixed like it was an afterthought. I’m referring to the places around the metropolis which merit a celebration. Maybe you’re moving or graduating. Maybe you got a new job, or maybe you were fired and that’s cause for celebration too. As I lay in my hotel room as west coast singer songwriters hum through the TV (I told you it has that California je ne se quai), it was time to leave my cozy confines and venture out to find, as Sinatra sings, “Nothing But The Best.”

Naturally, my first place is a hotel lobby bar to rival them all. Bar Pendry is a sophisticated kinda place downstairs from my cozy room, but I’m happy to report it’s just as comfortable without the typical aries that some standoffish luxury hotel bars give off. Sit at the low-lit bar accented by warm lamps lined up on top of it and recessed lighting below it. As in my room upstairs, most of the property is actually awash in these sunset colors.

The vibes are inherently pleasing, considering, fun fact, staring at a sunset innately tells our bodies to start winding down. You can wind up or down here. Since we’re here to celebrate, order up one of their signature Belvedere 10 Luxury Martinis, made with the iconic vodka, dry vermouth, sea salt, and the piece de resistance: a caviar-stuffed olive.

Over in Brooklyn, the Williamsburg neighborhood used to be filled with factories and garages. Today, it’s a mecca of high rises and some of the best food and drink in the entire city. Case in point: Shota Omakase, which continues a trend of Omakase spots bubbling up left and right around the city. But Shota isn’t just any Omakase place. It’s an over-the-top love letter to the craft, painstakingly brought to life by its master of ceremonies, Cheng Lin.

On a recent Saturday night, everybody was celebrating something: birthdays, anniversaries, all salivating over every bite of its 19-course Gentei Omakase menu. The dishes were incredible: rare fish flown in from Japan, so fresh that you can taste the sea, to tableside-grated wasabi. Standing shoulder to shoulder are the drinks: I’m talkin’ lip-smacking wines, the rarest of scotches and some of the best sake one can find in the East. Afterwards, I raised my glass to Chef Lin for the adventure. After all, his kingdom of sushi was just awarded a coveted Michelin Star.

From sea to land, my quest to celebrate in NYC has led me back to Manhattan and into Grand Central Station. No, I’m not taking a train from here like generations of commuters. Instead, I’m walking up a stately staircase and pulling up to Palladino’s Steak and Seafood, a relaxing and swank restaurant with a bird’s view of the busy station below.

It’s a classic American steakhouse stands as the epitome of a place to celebrate: I’m talkin’ about everything from the gregarious waiters clad in black jackets, embossed plates with its shiny blue logo, and white tablecloths. There’s also an acumen for crisp martinis. Sure you can order up a classic with a couple of plump olives, or maybe you’d wanna partake in an ultra-special Miso Caviar Martini which boasts layers of flavor.

Similarly, Palladino’s also boasts a Tomatillo Martini: made with clear tomatillo washed Belvedere B10 Vodka, Basil infused Vermouth, Olive Oil and Olive Brine. Not to be outdone, there’s also the Negroni flight: order a classic, or revel in a Fumato style (made with the smoky Italian amaro), or their Ristretto Negroni which is energized by espresso liqueur.

The food at Palladino’s also zig-zags between comfort dishes (baked clams, meatballs) as well as rare cuts of meat like Japanese olive-fed steak, stuffed lobster, and herb-roasted prime rib. Don’t forget to look up from your plate while you’re feasting and gaze at Grand Central’s cavernous environs.

Finally, it was time to end things with a bang. It’s the birthplace of baseball and site of Alexander Hamilton’s famous dual. Weehawken, New Jersey might sound like it’s far from NYC, but it’s actually right across the river; a short Uber or train ride away. Emphasis on river: the town is splayed against the mighty Hudson, which is a quality Blu on the Hudson embodies to its core.

Inside is an expansive space that looks like it’s out of a 50s-era restaurant fever-dream, many seats with views of the wooshing water outside. Sure the menu is chock full of all of the first-class grub one can imagine, from juicy steak like a Wagyu tomahawk to a two pound lobster flown in from Maine. Add in sushi, burrata, and caviar and you have yourself a diverse slate.

Much like the moon over the Hudson, the cocktail program here at Blu shines bright, and that includes award-winning creations. Take for example their La Costa Nostra, a Negroni spin made with St. George Gin, tomato, campari and garlic sweet vermouth. Of course it’s delicious, but the way it’s served is also a showstopper with the cocktail delivered in a standless glass which rests horizontally on the table, and topped with a sideways cracker. Other cocktails are served with smoking incense and unique vessels, like a small tokkuri (sake carafe). Meanwhile, their Dos Artes x Blu’s Unique Reposado Reserva boasts the two liquors, the latter one bespoke, aged three months in a cask.

Back at my cozy room in the Pendry as I look out onto the cityscape, I know I’ve only scratched the surface. As I’ve pondered in the past, if you went to a different watering hole in New York City every night you’d never run out based on sheer turnover. But hey, you gotta start somewhere.

Additional spots worth celebrating

Bar Blondeau: The classy rooftop hideaway atop the Williamsburg Hotel in Brooklyn, offering comfort food, spectacular views of the East River and skyline, and immaculate vibes.

W Hoboken: The brand new hotel across from New York City boasts an inspired lobby bar and stylish Canada-inspired restaurant Halifax, where the chef is known for making a bevy of dishes and libations in-house including its very own vermouth.

QC Spa: The viral Italian-inspired spa located on nearby Governor’s Island (a short ferry ride away from the Financial District), where one can enjoy its labyrinth of steam rooms and saunas as well as an impressive outdoor pool while in between sips of Aperol Spritz.

Carmine’s Italian Restaurant: The massive and bustling Times Square homage to old school Italian and the perfect place to cheers with a glass of wine; famous for its massive portions and close proximity to the theater district.