After mingling for a few more minutes at the Lambs Club, I headed up a couple of blocks to the Sanctuary Hotel for the season opening of their Haven Rooftop, a quaint multi-level bar with a tropical theme looking out towards Times Square. There, I got to sample their summer food and cocktail menu.
Much like the decor, the drinks themselves were light and fruity. There was the Solstice: a vodka-based drink topped with champagne; the more tequila-based Eclipse; and the Passionate Affair. The drinks had a good balance to them, although I felt as though the Eclipse had a touch too strong of the tequila flavor lingering around, but that speaks more to my distaste of that particular liquor than the quality of the drink. I took a liking to the Passionate Affair, a citrus-y drink with a splash of vanilla vodka that provided a nice base.
The food consisted of a lot of what I like to call pecking food: beef and chicken skewers, pieces of cheese bread, and other things of that ilk. Eventually, sliders and fried fish sandwiches were brought around, all of which were solid.
As for the location itself, it managed to feel spacious even while being packed full people. I never once felt overwhelmed thanks to well-decorated openness. While the bar was perhaps conspicuously trendy, I found it didn’t detract from the experience or irk me in the way some other “hip” places I’ve gone to. It was made up to adhere to its “tropical” theme, but none of the palm trees ever got in the way or were in your face about being there. It was a nice and easy place to relax that, judging by the clientele, appeals to all sorts: the businesspeople, the young and hip, and even the older crowd enjoying the view.
Overall, my impression of Haven was very solid. It had a fun, relaxed atmosphere that was more on the “party” end of the spectrum without being too clubby, with good food and drinks to boot.
