Roofin' it Up!

Who doesn’t love a great rooftop bar during the warm summer nights? Not having them on the island of Manhattan is as un-American as socialism in the United States or Speedos on a fat guy or even liking the actor Tom Cruise. If you’ve been reading my articles the past couple of months you know I love the Upper East Side and I advocate it every week. However, I do have one bone to pick with this region of the city… There are not nearly enough rooftop restaurant/ bars in the neighborhood. It’s a trade off really; many bars are below walk up apartment buildings. In order to attain more rooftop nightspots, we either need to forgo semi-affordable residences (semi- affordable when compared to prices in other regions of the city) or have a less residential neighborhood inundated with large bars and roof-top access.

The logical side of my brain obviously would prefer a place to live; however the mischievous and irresponsible part of my brain wants more outdoor fun in the coming months without having to venture to the opposite side of town to do so. With that notion in mind, I went through blood, sweat & tears to hunt down all the rooftop bars/ restaurants in the Upper East Side and all nearby areas that hug its borders; so readers and locals do not have to spend $20 on a one-way cab ride for the same amount of fun…

In the Upper East Side:

1) Roof Garden Café and Martini Bar
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 5th Avenue, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10028 (5th Avenue & 82nd Street)
http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/dining/
212-535-7710
Brief Synopsis: More sophisticated environment as opposed to crazy party spot. Menu changes frequently but offers mostly sandwiches & appetizers.

2) Surrey
20 East 76th Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10021
(76th Street between 5th & Madison Avenues)
(212) 288-3700
http://www.thesurrey.com/New-York-Luxury-Hotel.aspx?name=The-Surrey&page=Private-Rooftop-Garden
Brief Synopsis: Newly opened, upscale, pricey, offers food from French hotel restaurant, Café Boulud.


3) Bentley Rooftop Restaurant
500 E 62nd Street, 21st Floor
New York NY 10021
(62nd Street & York Avenue)
212-644-6000
http://www.hotelbentleynewyork.com/
Brief Synopsis: Upscale, pricey, offers full menu (Italian American), visit http://uppereastsidescene.blogspot.com/2008/05/bentley-well-kept-secret.html for more detailed review


Near the Upper East Side:

4) Salon de Ning
The Peninsula New York
700 5th Avenue, 23rd Floor
New York, NY 10019 (5th Avenue & 55th Street)
212-903-3097 http://www.peninsula.com/New_York/en/Dining/default.aspx#/New_York/en/Dining/Salon_de_Ning/Brief
Synopsis: Upscale, expensive, DJ music, offers full bar, menu (Asian)

5) Sutton Place
1015 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10022 (2nd Avenue & 54th Street)
212-207-3777
http://www.suttonplacenyc.com/terrace.html
Brief Synopsis: Casual, moderately priced, DJ music, offers bar menu (American)

6) Upstairs at the Kimberly Hotel
145 E. 50th Street, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10022 (3rd Avenue & 50th Street)
212-702-1685
http://upstairsnyc.com/index.php
Brief Synopsis: Upscale, pricey, music, offers full bar, menu (Tapas)


7) Top of the Tower
Beekman Tower Hotel
3 Mitchell Place, 26th Floor
New York, NY 10022
(1st Avenue & 49th Street)
212-355-7300
http://www.thetopofthetower.com/
Brief Synopsis: Upscale, pricey, live music, offers full bar, full menu (American)


8) Ali Baba Terrace
862 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor
(2nd Avenue & 46th Street)New York, NY 10016
212-888-8622
http://www.alibabaturkishcuisine.com/
Brief Synopsis: Casual, reasonably priced, music, offers full bar, full menu (Turkish)

9) Aretsky's Patroon
160 E 46th Street
(46th Street between Lexington & 3rd Avenues)
New York, NY
212-883-7373
http://www.patroonrestaurant.com/
Brief Synopsis: Upscale, dressy, expensive, offers full bar, bar menu (American)

10) MAD 46 Rooftop lounge
Roosevelt Hotel
45 E 46th Street, 19th Floor
(46th Street & Madison Avenue)
New York, NY, 10017
(212) 661-9600
http://www.mad46.com/
Brief Synopsis: Cool & contemporary (after work crowd), pricey, music, offers full bar, menu (Tapas)


11) Overlook
225 East 44th StreetNew York, NY 10017
212-682-7266
http://www.overlooknyc.com/roofdeckparty.html
Brief Synopsis: Casual, reasonably priced, DJ music & karaoke, offers full bar, bar-food menu (American)


12) Bookmarks
Library Hotel
299 Madison Avenue, 14th FloorNew York, NY 10017-6298
(Between Madison & 41st Street)
212-204-5498
http://www.libraryhotel.com/dining/index.cfm
Brief Synopsis: Upscale, pricey, intimate, offers full bar