There is something so inexplicably New York about a cocktail bar, and while coming from there makes it even more obvious, it isn't strictly necessary to be able to appreciate and aspire to be a part of the electrifying energy of its most-sought-after nightlife coves. From Brian De Palma’s American crime cult film Scarface (1983) and the mind-bending horror American Psycho (2000) to the contagious glitz, glam, and drama of Sex and the City (2008), there is a reason why many of the most iconic movies of the past decades either include references to, have inspired, or unfold directly within some of the best bars in New York — because few things make for better entertainment and guaranteed social interactions than a cocktail-fueled evening.
"People like to say you don't meet anyone when you're out in New York. I'd argue the opposite," our very own style editor, Julia Demer, chimes in from the opposite side of the Atlantic. "Some of my closest collaborators — and closest friends — emerged from tipsy, barely lit introductions over drinks. Cocktail bars in New York are the city's second playground. They're hubs for half-overheard conversations, overserved martinis, and — more often than you'd expect — creativity. The crowd is always a mix: finance and tech guys, designers, PR people, models. There's overlap, too: a fashion intern chatting with someone who trades futures is standard fare. That's the city."
