You can look like a glamorous New York City socialite, or just a fresher, prettier version of yourself when you drop by The Kimara Ahnert Makeup Studio on 113 Madison Avenue, which is within walking distance of the Marmara Manhattan and the Surrey hotels in the Upper East Side. Makeup artist Kimara Ahnert has worked with stars such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Isabella Rossellini, and she offers everything from make up lessons to facials to self-tanning applications. The studio almost feels like a lavish apartment with its plush Swiss robes and Louis XIV chairs. Read More »
Bar Pleiades at the Surrey Hotel
As you may have noticed, once overlooked hotel bars are slowly but surely becoming some of the best spots around for quality cocktails. These three new drinks are some of the most creative concoctions we’ve spied around Manhattan.
Aviation Cocktail: This gin-based drink served at the Grand Bar and Lounge at the Soho Grand Hotel has been popping up on an increasing number of classic cocktail menus in recent years. However, it’s still hard to find made, as it is here, with the originally intended ingredients. The secret is Creme de violette, a rare French flower-based liquor that just recently became available in this country. 31o West Broadway
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Bar Pleiades at the Surrey Hotel
Swanky hotel bars are having a renaissance on the New York nightlife scene, perhaps due to the success of Gramercy Park Hotel’s Rose Bar as a destination for VIPs, or thanks to the resurgance in speakeasy-style cocktail settings. Here are six of New York’s newest hotel bars where you can get cozy with a sophisticated tipple or two:
Bar Pleiades at the Surrey Hotel: Brand new following a $60 million renovation, this Upper East Side gem features a black and white Coco Chanel-inspired bar adjacent to Daniel Boulud’s Cafe Boulud. Toast a “Beijing Mule” (roasted Asian pear-infused vodka, yuzu juice, saffron-infused simple syrup, and house-made ginger beer, $15) in a white-quilted private booth. 20 E. 76th St.
Ace Hotel’s Breslin Lobby Bar: The West Coast hipster hotel chain brings its trademark understated cool to a corner of Flatiron otherwise lacking in style. Lounge on velvet couches and plaid chairs while sipping on the Ace Old Fashioned (Partida reposada tequila, agave nectar, Regan’s bitters and brandied cherries, $14) and munch on caramel popcorn. The warm wood interior mixed with taxidermy and antiques offers a library vibe, but the grafitti-inspired mural maintains an urban edge. 20 W. 29th St.
The Standard Hotel’s Living Room: Unless you are a celebrity, a model, or well-connected, you probably won’t be getting into the Bon Bon (formerly the Boom Boom Room), the so-called penthouse of this architectural marvel. But don’t fret, The Standard Hotel offers the Living Room cocktail lounge for the rest of us, and it’s a good spot for an early evening drink. The lounge is filled with ultra-modern furnishings and features DJs Tuesday-Saturdays, overlooks The Standard’s grand plaza. The people-watching is excellent. 848 Washington St.
The Crosby Bar at The Crosby Street Hotel: One of Manhattan’s newest hotels, The Crosby oozes with good taste. Although cocktails here are expensive, starting at $18, the vibrant, luxe decor–especially in the art-filled Drawing Room–justifies the splurge. Enjoy the “Crosby” (muddled raspberries, Granny Smith apple, Chopin vodka, Framboise liqueur, honey, lemon juice, and fresh-pressed apple juice) while you sit in the lap of British elegance. 79 Crosby St.
Ground Floor & Second Floor Bars at the Cooper Square Hotel: This sleek glass behemouth features not one, but two sophisticated bars–a lounge on the ground floor with a sloping black ceiling and an intimate, 30-seat indoor/outdoor enclave on the second floor complete with a fireplace. Drinks include a variety of sangrias and specialty cocktails, like the “Basil 8″ (Ketel One vodka, muddled white grapes, basil, lime juice, and ginger ale). 25 Cooper Sq.
–Selena Ricks of The Dizzy Fizz.
