VIBE

Set above a moodily lit restaurant, Stanton Social’s AvroKO-designed upstairs balcony and bar draws Lower East Side scenesters with fresh, exquisite drinks and hot-to-trot surrounds. Lined with pseudo-antique décor, the dark lounge teeters between Art Deco and elegant minimalism. Low burgundy banquettes hold well-heeled, fashionable beauties, who nibble at the gourmet tapas and sip old-fashioned cocktails in tune to a thumping soundtrack.

WHAT WE WOULD WEAR

A knee-length number and show-stopping heels.

GO HERE WITH

Friends; significant other; a date

CROWD

The Lower East Side’s hot and hip, and, perhaps, a celeb or two.

WHY WE LIKE IT

The sweet combination of imaginative and potent cocktails, delectable tapas, and sultry surrounds are sure to keep you coming back for more (that is, if you can swallow the hefty bill).

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE

The drinks are notoriously overpriced and wait staff have been known to vanish.

GOOD TO KNOW

This is a seen-and-be-seen kind of atmosphere (so if you aren’t looking to get social, this might not be the spot for you). The bar can be accessed from a separate staircase at the front of the restaurant.

CLOSEST COMPS

The Park (New York); La Mezzanine de L’Alcazar (Paris)

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to New York City.