After Eight

You’ll need to pause in the doorway of this West Midtown cocktail bar to let your eyes adjust. Once they do, you’ll see futuristic orbs dangling from the ceiling—clearly more for aesthetics than functionality. It’s the kind of stylish, intimate cocktail spot we’d picture the movie-making celebs visiting. For the rest of us regular civilians, we’re happy to bring a date here for pre- or post-dinner cocktails. The bar is connected to Eight Sushi Lounge (one of the best sushi spots in the city ), making it a no-brainer dinner-and-drinks combo. Bartenders regularly utilize nitrogen flairs and tweezers for garnishes, so the prices are what you’d expect. But you can't go wrong with any of the cocktails with Japanese-made spirits, like the citrusy Intern with nikka vodka, aperol, and lemon.