Best Bars of 2005 Written by John V. Curtin Photographed by Ramon Estevanell
	The Double Seven

It’s not easy to write a ‘Best Of’ when it comes to New York. Unlike
other cities, the possibilities are endless, and I have no doubt many will disagree with me. Regardless, below are my choices for the best of the best in the City That Never Sleeps.

Best Date Bar/Undiscovered Gem – ‘disiac Lounge
402 West 54th St. (btwn 9th & 10th Ave.)
(212) 586-9880

Despite amazing drink specials, one of the best bar menus in the city (think haute middle-eastern cuisine), and the occasional celeb sighting (Christian Slater and members of The Late Show cast are regulars), this little bar in Hell’s Kitchen has gone relatively unnoticed. The front room is all pastels and neon, sort of a more relaxed Miami feel, while a patio out back – replete with Moroccan-inspired furniture and soft lighting – provides some of the best and most seductive al fresco lounging north of 14th Street. All in all, it’s a perfect date spot. The eclectic music – ranging from house to sexy soul music – is always kept at levels
conducive to conversation. To be honest and a little blunt, this is a very (single guys, listen up) female friendly bar. The Pom-Pom, basically a pomegranate mojito, is delicious; and the lychee champagne (my girlfriend’s personal favorite) is head and shoulders above similar incarnations found at other bars. Plus, the slightly out-of-the-way location lends credibility to your self-professed in-the-know attitude about New York nightlife. Let’s just hope it doesn’t get too popular.

Best Date Bar If You’re A Serious Clubber With A Generous
Trust Fund – The Double Seven
418 West 14th St. (btwn 9th & 10th Ave.)
(212) 981-9099

I’m not sure how many crocodiles and other, similar reptiles sacrificed their lives to outfit the interior of The Double Seven, but I do know it was worth it. Simply put, The Double Seven is one of the best lounges to ever hit Manhattan. Black crocodile leather covers nearly everything – from the luxurious chairs and couches to several floor-to-ceiling columns to the entire bar. But despite this reptilian sensibility, The Double Seven isn’t as cold as one might think. Of
course, getting through the tough door is a challenge if not an impossibility (to avoid a potentially embarrassing walk-of-shame, don’t show up unless you know you’re on the list, and don’t bring your frat brothers from college).

But once inside sit back and relax, as the staff will do whatever it takes to make you feel welcome and comfortable. Not that it’s that hard in a place as beautiful and luxurious as this. Though one might get an occasional whiff of ostentation, the design exercises just enough restraint and, unlike many clubs of its caliber (which are few, if any), knows when to say when. And with a capacity of only ninety people, the feel of a small private party is almost always achieved. The drink menu is probably the best in all of New York, and though it changes daily can’t possibly be better executed (try the New Bitty, a sublime mix of vodka, cucumber and lime juice, and fresh mint, or the Gold Rush, a more alcohol-heavy
concoction of bourbon, honey, and fresh lemon juice). All of the juices are painstakingly squeezed everyday, only the finest ingredients are used, while sugars and other additives are banished from behind the bar. The bartenders, armed with a real hammer and chisel, even chip your ice off a massive block and into your glass. Unnecessary? Perhaps. But I’m giving it an A for effort and quality. Of course, all this luxury doesn’t come cheap: the amazing mixed-drinks are priced at $16 a pop, while wine, beer, and champagne start at $9. But the nice thing is, while such prices are extremely expensive, the drinks are,
generally speaking, worth it. (I’ve spent $12 dollars on watered down
cranberry and vodkas, I’ll gladly pay a few extra dollars for such transcendence). A youngish crowd wealthy enough to afford such luxury dominate the bar, pre-gaming before a big night at Bungalow 8 or the club’s older sibling across the street, Lotus. Surprisingly, many of the aforementioned glitterati come early, and unlike other hotspots, stay only for a drink or two. Then again, maybe they
can’t afford it either.

Best Bar To Bring Your Frat-Brother Friends From College
– Lederhosen
39 Grove St. (btwn. Bedford & Bleecker St.)
(212) 206-7691

Though some might object to me bestowing such an honor on a German restaurant/bar rather than your traditional sports bar, if you ask me there’s no place better to go out with the guys. Huge liters of fresh German draft beer will make any pitcher of Bud Light look rather pathetic, while authentic German food (schnitzel, bratwurst, spatzel, etc.) will make you forget about wings and sliders all too quickly. Not to mention that, for whatever reason, getting drunk
on German beer just makes you feel really, really good.

Best Bar If You’ve Just Lost Your Job – Lincoln Park
867A 9th Ave. (btwn 56th & 57th St.)
(212) 974-2826

Lincoln Park is pretty much your basic dive bar, but is mercifully without many of the annoyances of its peers. Always lively with a mix of Fordham students, young professionals, and a few career alcoholics, it never gets too crowded. With a drink special almost every night (Thursday after 11p is dollar drafts), it won’t break your budget. There’s plenty of alcohol and good company to keep your spirits up, while celebrity mug shots adorning the back of the bar serve to remind the
recently unemployed that ‘things could be worse’. An earlier than usual closing time insures you’ll be well-rested and up early in the morning to begin looking for a new job.

Best Bar for Your Hangover Cure – J.G. Melon
1291 3rd Ave. (@ 74th St.)
(212) 650-1310

A bastion of Upper East Side prep, this place seems more New Canaan than New York. And speaking from experience, there’s no better place to nullify your hangover than this burger institution. Though many are likely familiar with the legendary burger (one of the best in New York, if not the country), less well-known is that the best Bloody Mary (alongside the classic permutations on the
original, the Bloody Bull, with beef broth, and the Bloody Caesar, with clam juice) in the city can also be found here. Simple, basic, unadorned (celery stalks need not apply) as-it-should-be excellence graces very glass. I don’t know what it is - why they’re so good - they just are. Another menu highlight is the delicious chili: salty and refreshingly unspicy, it’s perfect for a stomach that doesn’t
quite know which end is up yet. Perhaps the only strike is that it’s
cash only (if you’re very hungover, it’s easy to forget to hit an ATM).
Regardless, the next time nothing else will do, head here – trust me, all will be right with the world again.