Raise the roof
Rediscover al fresco dining with these new gems
T OO many Big Apple spots for open-air eating and drinking are hard to love. Sidewalk cafes are great if you like exhaust fumes in your salad and beggars in your face. Many rooftops are overrun with rowdy, boozing singles — exactly the crowd you want to avoid 30 floors above the street.
But two new outdoor venues opened in the past few weeks that offer something refreshingly different. And since they haven’t been over-discovered yet, they’re free (so far) of built-in chaos and mob scenes. Here’s what I was delighted to find.
ELSIE ROOFTOP
Named for early 20thcentury New York actress, interior decorator and socialite Elsie de Wolfe, this elaborate indoor-outdoor complex incongruously perched atop a nondescript Garment District office building was designed to resemble one of her Manhattan penthouses. The romantic indoor portion has gold metal walls, antique mirrors and a bar topped in blue marble. But the outdoors is where I want to be. Views from the three-sided, landscaped terrace give a whole new perspective on brightly lit Times Square and the new Hudson Yards skyscrapers.
Unlike roof menus by noname chefs, Elsie offers small dishes by David Burke, a top talent who’s bounced back from some setbacks with popular Tavern62 and wood-fired bistro Woodpecker. His Elsie offerings — such as miso shrimp and grilled cheese with caviar — reflect his whimsical way of tweaking American favorites with exotic and global elements. What the house calls “elevated” cocktails (all $18) are headlined by the titular Elsie de Wolfe (vodka, cucumber, lemon and rosé). 1412 Broadway, at 39th Street; ElsieRooftop.com
HEINEKEN RIVERDECK
Pier 17 will soon have restaurants by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, David Chang and Andrew Carmellini. But Riverdeck will whet your appetite until then.
The East River setting feels halfway to Brooklyn. The glorious panorama takes in Governors Island, the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and both sides of the skyline. Don’t be put off by the Heineken branding — the brewer is merely an investor in the new Seaport District. This is a wellrun operation with comfortable couches, rocking chairs and picnic tables.
You order nosh — such as hummus, crudités or a ridiculously good pizza bagel — at the bar or the indoor Market Hall and take it to your seat. Cocktails are by former Saxon + Parole mixologist Mark Murphy. Go with the bourbon punch (Jim Beam, tropical citrus, angostura bitters) for a bracing riverside buzz. East end of Pier 17, South Street Seaport; Pier17NY.com