Where to dine, drink and dance this NYFW
From a gilded speakeasy to an intimate dance club frequented by fashion designers and models, keep reading for our curated list of spots to see and be seen.
It’s almost that time of year again when stoic fashion publicists, clad in all black and clutching iPads, guard the door to invite-only, celebrity-studded parties hosted at New York City’s chicest drinking destinations. Yes, New York Fashion Week is just around the corner. But if waiting in chaotically crammed lines alongside micro-influencers sounds like your worst nightmare, don’t lose it! In other words, you’ll find the fashion crowd at these swanky spots (below) at any time of year. From a gilded speakeasy that serves caviar and craft cocktails to an intimate dance club where fashion designers, models, influencers, and the like let down their hair on the glittering vodka-drenched dancefloor, keep reading for our favorite fashiony spots in town.
People’s
People’s is a new, beautiful people-packed addition to the Greenwich Village nightlife scene, housed in a historic townhouse that was once home to The Downtown Gallery—one of the birthplaces of American Modernism. Many New Yorkers will also remember the space as Spain, the wildly charming tapas restaurant that ran for 54 years before closing in 2020. Opened in December by Margot Hauer-King and Emmet McDermott, this swanky, candlelit haunt serves expertly crafted cocktails against the backdrop of a rotating collection of contemporary art. Whether you’re sipping a drink or vibing to the great music blasting throughout, People’s offers a unique blend of club and gallery vibes, making it the perfect spot to kick off your night in style. Already attracting a fashionable crowd, including celebrities like Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse, it’s no surprise that People’s is quickly becoming one of the hottest spots in town. Expect to rub elbows with the city’s best-dressed denizens, especially during Fashion Week.
113 W. 13th Street
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The hottest nightlife spots aren’t just in Manhattan—hop on the L train to North Williamsburg and head to Gabriela, which opened in early 2024 and has already become a locals’ favorite among stylish music lovers and those who want to hang around them. Housed in the former Kinfolk space, Gabriela is the brainchild of NYC native, DJ, and producer Eli Escobar, who teamed up with his childhood friend, Rafael Ohayon (owner of Cafe Mogador), to bring this always-packed venue to life. No matter the day of the week, this hotspot never fails to turn heads thanks to its amazing vintage sound system, great cocktails, and a rotating lineup of DJs spinning everything from trance to hair metal to synth-pop. Start with a drink in the chic mezzanine, then hit the dancefloor where the fog machines are pumping, the lights are trippy, and the energy is addictively electrifying.
90 Wythe Avenue
Look for a graffitied door on Rivington Street to find Tigre, the ceaselessly buzzy candlelit cocktail den from the team behind Williamsburg’s beloved oyster and cocktail bar, Maison Premiere. Inside the swanky James Bond-esque space, outfitted with gold walls, mirrored ceilings, and retro artwork, expect downtown fashion world types sipping cocktails at the eight-person U-shaped bar and plush banquettes adorned with tiger embroidery. How are the drinks? You can’t go wrong sticking with the classics, like Tigre’s Cosmopolitan (vodka, cranberry citrus, curacao) or their Screwdriver (Haitian orange, citrate). But if you really want to feel glam, go for the big-on-TikTok, addictively delicious Cigarette Martini, made with Truman vodka, Cap Corse Quina, and a smoky spirit with a juniper base from Empirical Spirits.
105 Rivington St; T. (646) 951-2780
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This NoHo hotspot with a celebrity-studded, disco ball-lit subterranean nightclub has been the place to be for cocktail-loving downtown denizens who look like Euphoria extras since it swung its doors less than a year ago. Dreamt up by industry veterans Max Chodorow, Ashwin Deshmukh, and Bernardo Metsch, the glamorous boîte has hosted Fashion Week parties for the likes of Eckhaus Latta, Willy Chavarria, and more. Upstairs, there’s an ornately bedecked, palatial dining room where designer-clad patrons sip martinis and nibble on lobster rolls under skylights. Once you’re ready for some late-night revelry in a red-light-soaked, beautiful people-packed drinking den, carefully make your way downstairs.
415 Lafayette St
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There’s no place like the Club Room, the beloved, ever-lively, gilded hidden gem frequented by stylish downtown creatives, celebrity visitors, and those who want to be surrounded by them. Curtained off inside the iconic Soho Grand Hotel, this people-watching haven and decadent drinking den evokes an old New York opulent speakeasy, but without the cigarette smoke. Think: lavish Art Deco furnishings with Terry O’Neill’s massive portraits and hand-painted peacocks dotting the walls. Expect: Effortlessly cool guests enjoying caviar and craft cocktails served in exquisite glassware amid live jazz performances and late-night DJ sets. Plus, endless VIP vibes.
310 W Broadway; (212) 965-3588
WORDS Alex Catarinella
FEATURED IMAGE Club Room at Soho Grand Hotel