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10 Spots for Winter Drinks

Compiled by Linda Perney | NYNewsday.com

December 5, 2003

Where do you go after a movie or a night at the theater? Where to stop for a drink and warm up.

MANHATTAN

Danube. This may be the most beautiful bar in the city, with its big, stylized sofa along one (gold-leafed) wall and its high ceilings. The atmosphere is tres romantic, turn-of-the-century Mittel Europa, and the drinks are elegant (try the Danube cocktail--champagne with elderflower essence for a properly elegant libation). The place is a little cramped, but then again, as we all know, good things come in small packages. (120 West Broadway; 212-791-3771)

Cibar. Think pink -- that's what they've done with the paint job, and they've created a welcoming, buzzy refuge from winter, with a few marble tables, love seats, and a fireplace. Too bad about the crowds, but this bar, at the Inn on Irving Place, is properly posh, with good martinis and a convivial crowd in their 20s and 30s. Nice place to start -- or wind up -- a bibulous evening. (56 Irving Place; 212-460-5656)

Balthazar. Its moment may have waned, and the spotlight may be on its younger sibling, Schiller's. But at this season, nothing quite equals the Frenchy luxe of this downtown standby. All those red walls and elaborate mirrors give it a festive, holiday air, and if you get hungry the food is as reliable as the drinks.(80 Spring Street; 212-965-1785)

Firebird. Yes, of course, it's over-the-top. That's the point of the avalanche of neo-Czarist artifacts. But it's a great place for after-theater champagne and blinis. Or, for that matter, icy vodka and caviar. Just settle back in the upstairs sitting room and imagine yourself back in Old Russia. (365 West 46th Street; 212-586-0244)

Pop Burger. Fancy, it isn't -- there's fast-food up front. But in the back, there's a loungey feel to the place, courtesy of its cushy banquettes; if you need something to take your mind off the lateness of the hour, there is always the pool table. The crowd is young and fashion-y; and you can snack on small plates that run to the luxurious: lobster nachos, anyone? (60 Ninth Avenue; 212-414-8686)

Lotus. Bang in the heart of the meat-packing district, just down the street from Stella McCartney's boutique, this luxe club has two bars, two levels, and plenty of pretty young things -- male and female -- crowding the bar. The house cocktails are strong and tasty, the lights are low, and if the noise is a little much, what do you expect in the waning hours of the night? (409 West 14th Street; 212-243-4420)

BROOKLYN

The River Cafe. The legendary restaurant also has a legendary bar, right up close to the Big City's Bright Lights. This is a good place to start a celebratory evening: If you're not staying on for dinner, you can be in Manhattan for dinner in minutes, or you can shoot over to Smith Street (or, for that matter, walk across the street to Pete's for some more heady views). (1 Water Street; 718-522-5200)

Sea. The Williamsburg branch of the Thai mini-chain draws a hip young crowd to this massive but stylish place. Yes, you expect the fiery food, and you expect the DJ. But what about the two bars, the Buddha, and the reflecting pool? (114 North Sixth Street; 718-384-8850)

Cafe Tabac.Open up an evening with a kir at this Francophile place on Smith Street, or polish one off with onion soup or steak frites (they're open till 3 in the morning weekends). The crowd hovers in the 20s to 30s range, and the atmosphere is tres Gallic, complete with the kind of football machine you find in cafes all over France. (120 Smith Street; 718-923-0918)

QUEENS

Water's Edge. To get a proper look at the city, sometimes you need to get a little distance. From the huge windows, the view of Manhattan is as awesome to the natives as it is to the newcomer. The drinks here are big-city varied (there's a list of house drinks as long as any in town -- the cranberry cosmopolitan makes a festive choice for the season). But the service is a little less frenetic that it is in most places across the river, which makes it a good place to wind down an evening. (44th Drive at East River, Long Island City; 718-482-0033)