Times Square isn’t most New Yorkers’ idea of a good time. But with spots like The Polynesian and Dear Irving on Hudson popping up in the past year, it’s hard to deny that the area’s bar scene has seriously stepped up its game. With the new Times Square Edition, though, we’re officially going out of our way to get off the train at 42nd Street.
A Stylish New Drinking Destination Is Now Open in…Times Square?
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Published May 20, 2019
Courtesy of Times Square Edition Hotel
The hotel’s opulent, more-is-more attitude is brought to you by hospitality heavyweight Ian Schrager (the guy behind, among other things, downtown’s stylish Public hotel). And, as with Public, the Edition is as much a destination for locals as it is for out-of-towners, thanks to an ambitious dining lineup.
That means not one, not two, but four distinct food and drink concepts within the hotel: a fine-dining restaurant, an all-day brasserie, a lobby bar and an avant-garde performance venue (more on that later). At the helm is Michelin-starred chef John Fraser, the hit maker behind Narcissa, Nix and the Loyal, along with bar director Salvatore Tafuri and wine director Amy Racine.
Courtesy of Times Square Edition
First up: The Terrace, an indoor-outdoor garden space that’s a plant-loving millennial’s dream. Outside, Moroccan lanterns and a canopy of greenery might even make you forget you’re steps away from the neon lights and tourist mobs (that is, until you feel like snapping a ’Gram of the view). Inside, you’ll find plush couches and even more foliage. Cocktails don Broadway-themed names, like the Amadeus (cachaça-infused yerba mate, lime, ginger) and the Angel of Music (vodka, rose, cardamom, rosé brut).
Liz Clayman
701West, meanwhile, is outfitted with tufted blue and chartreuse velvet banquettes and mahogany wood paneling. It’s definitely more of a celebratory-night-out kind of place, thanks in part to its three-course prix fixe menu, where highlights include a Hokkaido sea urchin risotto, baked sweet potato in seaweed bread and rotisserie guinea hen. Cocktails are straight-up theatrical, like the Bali Ha’i, a rum punch designed like a bowl of ramen (with mango “noodles”), and the old-fashioned riff Foreign Affairs, made with shiitake mushroom–infused bourbon and a truffled peach garnish. There’s also a 600-bottle wine list, which includes rare vintages from the 1930s and 1940s. (Casual.)
The drinking options continue with Edition’s handsome lobby bar, which feels like the living room of your most design-savvy friend. Unlike the New York Times, this place recognizes the value of a good spritz—a whole section of the menu is dedicated to them—along with refreshing cocktails like the tequila-mezcal-mango-jalapeño Pretty Hot and the Big Apple Cooler (basically apple pie in drink form).
Liz Clayman
We might be most excited about Paradise Club, a nightclubby cabaret curated by the people behind House of Yes. (If you’re at all familiar with the Bushwick art-party spot, you know it’s sure to be weird in the best possible way.) Think aerialists, dancers and costumes extraordinaire accompanied by decadent bites, flaming desserts and a trolley cocktail cart that becomes part of the show. Hey, it wouldn’t be Times Square without a little excess, would it?