[Earl Grey]

When in the village, I recommend 8th Street Wine Cellar. Low key, relaxed vibe. Bar seating and dimly lit also. Perfect for a first date on a weekday. Not sure how it would be on a weekend though.

[Pilgrim37]

This shows some "nice " spots in NYC...but that bottle service is not my scene..nightlife /bars starts at 5:20...some out of the way speakeasies...beginning is High end restaurant scene...hope you've got some dough!!

[Dantes]

(07-20-2014 08:58 PM)Vaun Wrote:  

(07-20-2014 08:14 PM)Dantes Wrote:  

(07-20-2014 08:08 PM)Vaun Wrote:  

Good list.

I would add Shalel. Columbus and 70th. Good second date spot. Good for a first if you really like the girl. Underground, Moroccan, good wine, there is a waterfall. Good spot to start if you are in the UWS.

I take dates to the Hudson Hotel a lot.

Thanks, I haven't been there. I will have to check it out...I like that area

Empire roof top was looking pretty Jersey Shore last time I was there about a month ago.

I was there last night with a girl. The crowd was decent. Lots of foreigners. There were some nice looking Asian girls and a few Indian girls as well.

[themilkman]

Just went to Ci Bar in Union Square/Gramercy Park last night, place is excellent for a date spot. The crowd consists of suits and there decently attractive girlfriends. Great patio area but fills up quickly as its only 8 or so seats. 4 drinks ran me about $100 bucks. Date was noticeably impressed with the location.

If anyone needs a few recommendations on the east side ie, Upper East, Midtown East or Murray Hill let me know and I can post.

[themilkman]

Also think some day drinking spots would be a good addition to the thread.

[Dantes]

Themilkman

I would like to see a list of some cool date spots in the neighborhoods you mentioned

Dantes
(Formerly Doctordude)

[Distant Light]

(10-09-2014 11:02 AM)themilkman Wrote:  

Also think some day drinking spots would be a good addition to the thread.

Friday
1. The DL (Not 100% sure if it goes on in the fall)


Saturday
1. Lavo Brunch (2-3pm)
2. Day & Night Brunch (2-3pm)
3. Ph-D Sunset Party (Starts 6pm)
4. Pranna Brunch (2-3pm)
5. Gansevoort Park Ave Brunch (2-3pm)


Sunday
1. Bagatelle
2. Revel
3. Beauty & Essex
4. Le Bain
5. Mondrian Hotel (Rooftop)
6. Hotel Americano
7. The Attic (Rooftop)

Although I doubt it's open since it's fall, mondays at Dream Hotel people would go to the pool or magnum mondays at lexington brass (although I think that's finished)

P.S...This is off the top of my head, I haven't been to a few in ages nor do I know if they go on through winter. All I know is that these places during spring/summer were going...I used to day drink alot.

[themilkman]

I work in Midtown and work late so I try to structure my dates around here if I'm real desperate, there are much better places as you head downtown but this should be a good start given a decent amount of women work in this area.

The Smith (East 50s) - go here for lunch frequently and it's always packed with a trendy young crew. I have had good experience here on first dates but it gets packed so the only seating are communal stools. Tough to gain momo in a date while surrounded by couples and hedge fund guys. Going on a off night may help though.

Park Ave Tavern (Grand Central) - More of a happy hour scene that trends young chicas (maybe happy hour is the move), this works well as I'm 23 so dates tend to be more informal as is. This is a tough area to work game and I would only go as a last resort.

Daughtry 55 (East 50s) - Craft beer dive that has a great covered outdoor in the back, holiday lights add a nice touch. Good place to start the night.

Let me know if this is helpful and I can cater it to a particular area next time.

[Dantes]

Kashkaval

This is a wine bar on 9th between 55 and 56. They also have light snacks. It is a small place that gets crowded and is difficult to get a spot at the bar. It is a good spot to start out. I usually do a venue change to Hudson Hotel or Stone Rose after.

[tbone46]

I don't mean to derail the tread, but I think the whole approach of finding "date spots" in this thread is flawed.

There are certainly some great spots on here, but for a date I think the approach shouldn't be to pick out the coolest/best spot and I certainly would not recommend someplace super high-end like Lavo or some club where the music will be way too loud. Sure, the girl will be impressed with the place but you will have a tougher time working good logistics within the venue. On a date logistics trump everything both within the venue and outside of it. So what you need is a nice spot in your neighbourhood (easy to get back to your place), where you have been enough times to get social proof from the staff. and where the seating/standing is such that you will be able to physically have contact with the girl. Logistics trump all because if you are at the point where a girl will meet you a second time you don't have to impress her...she already wants you, all you need to do is stay out of the friend zone by making lots of appropriate sexual contact, refrain from doing anything incredibly stupid to change her perception of you, and get her back to your place. Going to bagatelle brunch on a date is the equivalent of coming out with four wide receivers and throwing the ball deep when you are already ahead by a touchdown with a minute left in the game. Don't do more then you have to do.

I am not going to throw out names but I prefer wine bars that have small plates and where the girl isn't going to be drawn to areas that have table seating...I want to sit next to her not across from her. Seriously, sitting at a table across from a girl is absolute death, avoid it at all costs. I would rather meet her at a dive bar filled with underage dudes from long Island then sit across from her at the best restaurant in Manhattan. That is not an exaggeration. If you sit across form a girl for an hour with no physical contact you are going to have to work really hard to keep her "warm" and things exciting. The staff should also know you well enough to greet you at the door and the bartenders/hosts should know "your game" so that they seat you with the above-mentioned good logistics and give you serious social proof. At the spots I frequent I don't hesitate to tell the bartenders hostesses that I know and have tipped well in the past things like "if I bring a girl in here I want to sit xyz and I would rather wait then sit someplace else". As a bonus you will get a lot of buyback even at high-end places if the staff likes you and you have tipped well in the past.

You need to have a few of these spots developed so if things aren't where you need them to be after a certain amount of time you can bounce, try again at a different spot, but still keep things interesting. In my neighbourhood I have spots at every stage of a possible date...early drink spot, dinner spot, late night spot, spot to go dancing, etc. After each spot I try to move it back to my place, if it doesn't work but I am interested enough to keep going, we move on to the next spot. Rinse and repeat. It usually wont take more then one or two venues if you have done it right.

So the best date spot isn't a name, it is a spot that is close to your place, with good seating logistics, and where you have developed good relationships with the staff....all you need is a list of local spots in your neighbourhood, you need to go check them out by yourself, and you need to start developing the ones you like that allow for good logistics and have cool staff. Preperation is the key. I know for a fact if I get a woman to day 2 she is going to be impressed because I have my date spots down cold and I get treated like the mayor in all of them...you cant get that from a list.

[Dantes]

Good points

I agree about logistics and being able to sit next to the girl. The latter being my primary concern as my logistics are not good.

I can't tell you how many times friends and guys on the forum have asked about good places to go out with a girl in NYC. This is list is not intended to be the end all be all, but a source of information for guys who may not have your knowledge. There are thousands of places to go in NYC and we all understand it is better to set up good logistics. This is not the point of this thread. When I go to a new city and I search trip reports on the Forum, some of the most helpful pieces of information are where to go out on a certain night and where to go out with a girl. When you are as familiar with a city, a push in the right direction is helpful.

[TheBulldozer]

(12-02-2014 07:55 PM)Dantes Wrote:  

Kashkaval

This is a wine bar on 9th between 55 and 56. They also have light snacks. It is a small place that gets crowded and is difficult to get a spot at the bar. It is a good spot to start out. I usually do a venue change to Hudson Hotel or Stone Rose after.

Kashkaval used to one of my favorites, but I stopped going because I'd go with dates and it would be so crowded that they'd sit us at dinner tables instead of the bar. It's impossible to escalate when you're sitting interview style across from someone.

[Aragorn]

Here are my current faves on the LES

1. Verlaine ($5 lychee Martini's till 10 that are sweet but strong as hell and has a couch area for mad kino)

2. Lobby bar at the Ludlow hotel (expensive but strong drinks, couches, fireplace)

3. Nitecap (same as #2, plus coolness cuz it's hidden)

4. The late late (couches, rarely busy, dancing downstairs)

5. 2nd floor on Clinton (couches, speak easy vibe, great jazz night on Tuesdays)

6. Back room (same as #5, but swing dance/jazz party on
Monday's, fireplace)

7. Cozy cafe (hookah, dingy and couches, no hard liquor though)

[Vicious]

(08-08-2014 11:23 AM)Pilgrim37 Wrote:  

This shows some "nice " spots in NYC...but that bottle service is not my scene..nightlife /bars starts at 5:20...some out of the way speakeasies...beginning is High end restaurant scene...hope you've got some dough!!

Vid is outdated. Daniel for example has been docked of its 4th star.

[BagelConsultant]

(12-02-2014 07:55 PM)Dantes Wrote:  

Kashkaval

This is a wine bar on 9th between 55 and 56. They also have light snacks. It is a small place that gets crowded and is difficult to get a spot at the bar. It is a good spot to start out. I usually do a venue change to Hudson Hotel or Stone Rose after.

Original Kashkaval closed (unfortunately) due to stupid landlords. Thankfully, Kashkaval Garden is open a couple of doors down, still on 9th between 55th and 56th.

Other options in Midtown West that I like (it's my hood)

1. Henry at Hudson Hotel (58th and 9th) - this is the classy cocktail bar at Hudson Hotel. Not cheap but quite nice, sometimes gets clubby, often has live jazz. Check their website for details.

2. Flute Midtown (54th and broadway) - Basement lounge known primarily for champagne. Nice atmosphere and their cocktail menu is far deeper than you'd expect.