A number of high-profile chefs — including JJ Johnson of Fieldtrip and Ignacio Mattos of Estela —have slowly been opening up at Rockefeller Center and helping make the Midtown tourist trap a place New Yorkers actually want to visit. Pebble Bar, which sits in a historic four-story townhouse, is the leading cocktail destination in the area. A team of nightlife veterans, and some celebrity investors, have transformed what was an Irish bar into a seen-and-be-seen spot. The classic cocktails take on names inspired by the location, such as the Martini 1-H named after what NBC, another Rock Center tenant, called the bar: “Studio 1-H.”

With travel picking up in New York City, hotel bars have made a comeback of sorts — Bemelmans at the Carlyle is busier than ever and a splashy spot to drink now open on Roosevelt Island are just a few examples. The latest one to check out is Bar Calico, located on the second floor at the Freehand New York. In a candlelit space, head bartender Mike Campbell concocts a list of cocktails drawing on an American Southwest theme. A few selections include the Desert Rose (a tequila drink with aloe and agave) and the Gunslinger (a white rum drink adorned with fresh, edible flowers).

New Yorkers mourned the recent closing of Angel’s Share original East Village location, but for cocktail enthusiasts, the same exacting standards of a Japanese bar — crystal-clear ice, balanced cocktails, and detail-oriented service — lives on at Martiny’s. Takuma Watanabe, the head bartender at Angel’s Share for eight years, has converted a historic carriage house in Gramercy into his own establishment spanning three floors. Martinis are the specialty at this cozy spot, but Watanabe also has a collection of rare Japanese whiskies, and the headline-making menu of bar snacks is run by Masa and Eleven Madison Park alum Wayne Cheng.

While restaurateur Jon Neidich — who’s also behind Brooklyn hits like Le Crocodile and Bar Blondeau — considers the Nines more of a supper club, there’s no denying this narrow room draped in corduroy with sweeping curtains gives off strong bar vibes (the popular nightlife spot Acme is underneath it, after all). There’s often live music and the room is great for people watching — many patrons look like they work in fashion and their outfits match the establishment’s name. All the classic cocktails are on the menu, but the food from chef Nicole Gajadhar, a Saxon & Parole alum, is just as luxurious as the space: caviar on a baked potato, gnudi with truffles, and a burger slathered in black garlic.

When it closed on December 31, 2017, Temple Bar was equal parts a downtown destination referred to in some circles as the martini-slinging “downtown Bemelmans,” as much as it was a place that the city’s top bartenders would visit. Nearly four years later, a team of nightlife gurus (including David Rabin, who helped open Sona) and acclaimed bartenders (Michael McIlroy and Sam Ross of the award-winning Attaboy) have revived this Noho space. The same Art Deco-ish touches still remain but the space and menu have been given a makeover. While there are plenty of martinis on the menu, classics like a Negroni sport an eye-catching blue hue instead of the iconic Campari red glow.

High-end audio equipment and fancy, acoustic paneling set this cocktail bar apart from the many neighborhood bars in this stretch of north Brooklyn. Eavesdrop opened earlier this year, bringing a cocktail lounge and “listening bar” (think: vinyl records and live DJs playing from a custom speaker system) to Greenpoint. The team is going for a laid-back, living room-like atmosphere with light wood walls and a cocktail list that includes spritzes on tap, a white Negroni, and fun drinks like an $8 “shot of chaos” made from rum, coffee liqueur, and orange.

At Wiggle Room — from the team behind hot spots like Mister Paradise and Pretty Ricky’s — patrons go upstairs for riffs on classic cocktails crafted by Will Krepop (an alum of Cote). Here, the Vesper martini, known for its potent mix of gin and vodka, is reborn as the Wiggle ‘Tini and gets a touch of cherry blossom. For espresso martini lovers, their version — which they have on tap — includes vodka, cacao rum, and cold brew. These may all lead to a night out, as the first floor is set up for dancing and a rotating slate of DJs.

Hip hangout Lullaby is the latest cocktail bar to slide into this subterranean Lower East Side spot, which was last occupied by Nitecap, from the acclaimed Death & Co. team. Backed by partners Harrison Snow and Jake Hodas, the bar doesn’t openly nerd out on its cocktails, but rather sells its concoctions under plain names — the Gin Drink, the Rum Drink — mixed in with a few other fun winks, like a boozy version of a Dole Whip made with alcoholic pineapple soft-serve. The “godfather” of Boston’s cocktail scene, Brother Cleve, consulted on the cocktail menu.

One of Williamsburg’s newest places to drink comes from the owners behind Minnows in Greenpoint and the neighboring bar Harefield Road just a few blocks away. This laid back spot is filled with whimsical wallpaper, lots of framed artwork, and lime-green booths — the perfect backdrop for ordering the Frozen Grasshopper, a boozy adult milkshake of sorts with a refreshing hit of mint.

Veteran NYC restaurateur Jon Neidich has been cranking out the hits. After debuting Nines, which is also on this list, Neidich opened Parisian wine bar Le Dive in Manhattan, which instantly became a crowd favorite. Just a couple months later he’s at it again with Deux Chats, a French-leaning cocktail bar that feels anything but staid. Martinis here come two ways: gin, manzanilla, vermouth, with celery or “kinky” with spicy vodka, ancho reyes verde, vermouth, and cocchi americano. The latter kind of says it all: between the seafood towers, emerald green spot, and strong cocktails, Deux Chats is a sexy date spot, even when stopping by on the early side.

Oddly Enough, a brand-new cocktail bar in Bed-Stuy, arrives at a time when queer spaces, and lesbian bars in particular, are sorely needed. Operators Laura Poladsky, a former employee at Eugene & Co., which formerly operated out of the space, and Caitlin Frame are going for a vibe that’s “fun, sexy, and warmly welcoming.” Here, that means booth seating, plates of tinned fish, and a cocktail list with drinks with names like Earth Baby and New Moon in Leo.