Refinery Rooftop Bar | HOT SPOT
Where did we leave off on our whirlwind tour of the City that Never Sleeps? Ah yes, we were drinking!
More specifically, Dhruvi and I were headed over to Refinery Rooftop, the (gorgeous, breathtaking, stylized) rooftop bar of the Refinery Hotel amidst the Garment District, with year-round (and might I add completely stunning) views of the Empire State Building.
We got there promptly at happy-hour-hour (that is, as soon as we felt we could take no more of the frigid winds outside) and happily (gratefully) waited under the strings of twinkle lights for Dhruvi's friend Krystal of The Feisty House to join us.
(photo by Refinery Rooftop)
(photo by Refinery Rooftop)
The rustic style of the rooftop bar - replete with exposed brick, ivy, and wooden furniture, and completed by a fireplace in the elevator entryway - contrasts perfectly with the stark exterior of New York in wintertime. The chrome, the glass, the iron, and the cold snowy scene outside made us all the more appreciative of the welcoming decor and the drinks warming our bodies.
While many cocktails (and a snack sampler or two at the next table over) caught my eye, I was recommended the Chef's Cider, a mix of spiced rum, mulled cider, and lemon. This concoction kept me cozy and comfortable wee into the hours of the...evening (hey, I had a dinner date with friends!)
I should mention that this spacious bar area was completely packed a mere hour and a half later - when I left around 7:30pm for Brooklyn, you could tell it was just the beginning of a bustling Friday night on the Refinery Rooftop's rooftop. Thank goodness we got there when we had, or we wouldn't have had a snowflake's chance in you-know-where of getting a table!
But before the masses descended upon this watering hole, Dhruvi, Krystal, and I enjoyed the view (and our cocktails - D let me try her delicious Luster cocktail and Krystal's Empire Martini almost had me convinced I was sophisticated enough to begin ordering martinis regularly) as we chatted about upcoming trips, fashion events, and the State of Blogging in our generation. It was a very mature conversation, you guys! Really!
Ok, maybe we exchanged a few bad dating stories too. It's a Friday night in New York City, aren't those required?
To cut to the chase, I can't say enough good things about the Refinery Rooftop. The atmosphere was miraculously casual-chic (a difficult feat to achieve), the views were astounding, and the cocktails sated us spectacularly. I almost didn't need a second Chef's Cider...but then again, I was on vacation! I had to indulge. And Refinery was the perfect place for it.
(A big thanks to Dhruvi for suggesting the evening's locale! I strongly, strongly suggest you go check it out if you're in the NYC area or heading there anytime soon. I can't wait to go back.)
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Refinery Rooftop & Hotel 63 W 38th Street New York, NY 10018
open 7 days a week