When you wake in spring or summer, and the weather is not a bummer, you need to find a number one stunner, and head to one brunch or another. You may ask, “What is so sublime about drinking Mexican beer and Rose wine, while the sun shines?” The warmth, the ladies, a classic Mercedes filled with beautiful, French and Brazilian babies.
Cipriani began this debauchery in SoHo back in the late nineties,You see, it used to be all about who was who, or if you were an old money Euro or Garmento Jew. Then 2009 came round the bend, and the daytime became more about fun and how much you could spend. A money marathon dropping from the sky, who is willing to spend more, you or I?
No one really cares about the food, they all just want to pop champagne and be in a good mood. There really isn’t any attitude, just lots, and lots, and lots booze. Pink wine flows as far as the eye can see, like Dire Straits said "Money for nothing and chicks for free." So night becomes day and day becomes night, and when you leave you can’t believe it’s still light. But you are too busy listening to euro tunes, to realize everything is more fun in the afternoons.
Women are in their airy dresses, hair in pig tails, and feet in wedges. Girls show skin we have not seen since June, when they were in the Hamptons on a table at Dune. Some are dressed like it is the night, some look like they just got out of a fight. Punch drunk chicks are not our thing, don’t be too sloppy unless you have a ring. Otherwise your picture will be on GuestofaGuest, and you will look like a hot, hot mess.
After Cipriani, it was Merkato and Bagatelle, but then the Koch boys told Merkato to go to hell. Now they enjoy their Days & Nights at I Tre Merli and it is less about him or me. No more issues, no more fights, cause every time someone barks or bites, the waiter, he a sparkler lights. The superman song explodes into the room and the crowds look to see whom is whom. But their buggy eyes can’t even zoom, to see who is waving from across the room. And the bill is building like impending doom, but who the hell cares it’s a gorgeous afternoon!
What can I say, I find day drinking inspiring. So without further ado, here are the best spots to drink away all your cares throughout the day. Fuck, I can’t stop rhyming now.
Side Note: What percentage of nightlife revenues now come from daytime parties? I would guess at least 20%, as new parties are popping up every week and people seem much more willing to spend during the day. A restaurant without a brunch party is like household without DVR – so five years ago.
Best Spots for Day Drinking:
Michael Jordan: Retired but still great, timeless
Downtown Cipriani
Patrick Ewing: Would have been champion if Michael Jordan didn’t exist
Da Silvano & Bar Pitti
Kobe Bryant: The reigning champion
Bagatelle
Lebron James: A fierce beast destined to be champion
I Tre Merli/Day & Night
Shaquille O’neal: Just bigger than everyone else
The Standard Hotel
David Lee: New York Fan Favorite, but will never be MVP
Via Dei Mille
Kevin Durant: Has all the tools to be a star
The Collective (Lifestyle Group, launched last week)
Dwayne Wade: Best when playing in Miami, but always a star
Sushi Samba 7 (Yuval and Co., launched last week)
Sixth Man Candidates: Generally good spots for a day drink
Barrio Chino
Barolo
Coffee Shop
Dos Caminos – SoHo & Opening this Week in Meatpacking
Double Crown – $35 includes an unlimited “Do-it-Yourself Bloody Mary Bar”
Felix
Hudson Terrace
Hudson Hotel’s SKY Terrace
La Esquina Cafe
La Bottega at the Maritime Hotel
Le Bilboquet
Pulinos
The Yard at Soho Grand Hotel
Coming Soon:
Gansevoort Park - Summer
Highbar - Summer
Merkato 55 Redo: Italian Brasserie from Bagatelle Group - TBD
Welcome to Hollywood, what’s your dream? Will you possibly continue drinking into the evening? Either way it, it ain’t no thang. Spring is always better when you are day drinking…
See you next time at Cocktail Hour, where more often than not one drink turns into ten and no one knows where and when the night will end.
-AP