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Opening Hours
Today: 3pm–12am
Fri:
3pm–1am
Sat:
3pm–1am
Sun:
3pm–12am
Mon:
3pm–12am
Tues:
3pm–12am
Wed:
3pm–12am
Location
6 West 32nd Street
Cloud Social 1 Bars Rooftop Bars Chelsea Koreatown Tenderloin

“You can’t really get much closer than that,” Tom, our photographer said, when we were surprised by the enormous view of the Empire State building looming over us. We were on the roof of the Nyma hotel on one of the first warm days in the spring of 2015. Fun, bright orange outdoor seats, the same color as the cozy heat lamps, greeted us next to zebra striped tables topped with little grassy ornaments. Unlike many of the more luxurious rooftop bars, Cloud Social felt more like a good friend’s well-decorated garden patio, unintimidating and intimate. This is exactly how Frank and Maya, the couple who own the bar along with VU at the top of La Quinta, want guests to feel. Frank told us “We don’t want to be pretentious – you don’t need to pay at the door, and there is no dress code. You can come in your shorts!”

Rooftop bars are Frank’s passion. He started working with hotels when he opened a small bar on the second floor of the Hotel at Times Square. He explained, “Hotels like the way I operate.” He recognizes that when he rents space from a hotel, he must respect the guests. For example, it is essential that his staff be considerate to those on the top floor and control the noise level. Frank was sure to mention, however, that most of his patrons do not come from the hotel, but rather from the surrounding neighborhood. “We attract many young professionals, partly because we keep our prices reasonable.”

Maya is responsible for the décor. “Certain colors are soothing to the eye,” she said, when we mentioned how much we enjoyed the orange. She continued to explain that she wanted to create a zen feeling with her design. Both Maya and Frank are proud of the fact that the bar is open year-round, and that people take advantage of it. “Even when it’s cold, many people will come outside, take pictures, have a smoke, and then go back,” they told us.

The bartenders made us a couple of Cloud Social’s most popular cocktails: A paloma (Mexico’s best loved drink), made with raw sugar around the edges and “On the Roof,” which immediately transported me to the Caribbean with its flavors of Malibu and peach schnapps. Both drinks furthered the feeling of being at a friend’s classy pool party, and were delivered by very attentive, friendly staff. Frank explained that he puts a lot of emphasis on service. He believes it has been one of the main reasons why he has been successful. “A drink is a drink: you won’t remember a bad drink,” he said, “but you will always remember bad service.”

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Cloud Social 1 Bars Rooftop Bars Chelsea Koreatown Tenderloin
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Cloud Social 6 Bars Rooftop Bars Chelsea Koreatown Tenderloin
Cloud Social 7 Bars Rooftop Bars Chelsea Koreatown Tenderloin
Cloud Social 8 Bars Rooftop Bars Chelsea Koreatown Tenderloin
Cloud Social 9 Bars Rooftop Bars Chelsea Koreatown Tenderloin
Cloud Social 10 Bars Rooftop Bars Chelsea Koreatown Tenderloin
Cloud Social 11 Bars Rooftop Bars Chelsea Koreatown Tenderloin
Cloud Social 12 Bars Rooftop Bars Chelsea Koreatown Tenderloin

More Bars nearby

More places on 32nd Street

Lost Gem
Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong 1 Korean undefined

Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong

“We were just voted the best Asian barbecue restaurant in New York, ” said Philip, the general manager of Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong. “We’re getting a lot of buzz these days, because Korean food is very trendy right now. ” And Baekjeong, founded by Korean wrestler and TV personality Kang Ho-dong, is the trendiest of all. It is a favorite hangout of actors and celebrities, and has received high praise from celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain and David Chang. At Baekjeong (the Korean word for “butcher”), meat is king. But while Korean barbecue traditionally makes use of the second-best cuts of meat, marinating them for flavor, Philip emphasized that Baekjeong uses only the highest-quality meat. “We don’t even marinate it, ” he added. Between the quality of the meat and the reputation of executive chef Deuki Hong, a twenty-five year old prodigy who recently won the 2015 Young Guns Chef award, Baekjeong has become one of the hottest new restaurants in New York. The wait to be seated, Philip told me, is sometimes as long as an hour and a half. By all accounts, it is worth the wait. As customers munch on small starter dishes known as banchan, waiters prepare the meat - mainly beef and pork - on large metal grills set into each table. Another highlight at Baekjeong is dosirak, a traditional Korean children’s lunchbox filled with rice, kimchi, and a fried egg. In the seventies, Philip explained, Korean kids always shook up their metal lunch boxes before eating them, and at Baekjeong - which aims for a “1970s industrial Korea feel” - customers are encouraged to do the same. But Philip emphasized that guests who do not know much about Korean food should not be worried. The waiters, who all speak English and Korean, “make sure to cater to customers who don’t know what’s going on. ” For the most part, though, the Chinese tourists and Americans who make up most of Baekjeong’s clientele (“Koreans don’t like to wait in line, ”) do know what is going on. “No one just walks in off the street, ” Philip told me. “The kind of people who come here are in the know. ”

More Rooftop Bars nearby

Lost Gem
Up on 20 1 Bars Rooftop Bars undefined

Up on 20

Where the Hyatt Herald Square has taken inspiration from the publishing and fashion worlds, its bar, called “Up on 20, ” seems to take its inspiration from the sky and cityscape. With clean metallics, greys, and glass, the rooftop bar mirrors its surroundings and emphasizes the sleek beauty of Manhattan. I learned a lot from speaking with Gunnar Steden, the executive chef, and Jordan Cook, the food and beverage manager. Jordan explained that both the food and the décor tried to seem as natural and organic as possible. He spoke about the flowers and plants that would soon be brought up to the bar and about the food that was all locally sourced and made in house. Gunnar explained that most of his ingredients come from no farther than Long Island and Brooklyn, and even the hotel snacks and the morning coffee come from within a very small radius. Gunnar has a significant amount of experience working as a chef for Hyatt, as he has spent time in the empire's German, Australian, and DC hotels. He proudly spoke about the balance in cuisine that he has created, thanks in part to his worldliness. Despite his emphasis on local ingredients, he also caters to more mainstream and international tastes. He used drinks as an example: Whereas he has beer brewed just across the East River on Long Island, he also carries Blue Moon and Shocktop, and he has brought in Kolsch from his native Germany to satisfy European taste buds. Gunnar and Jordan both expressed pride in the menu, and were quick to say that if something does not work, or if available ingredients change, they will change the menu overnight. This is especially helpful in a hotel as new as the Hyatt Herald Square, which had opened only six months before our visit in the spring of 2015. The rooftop bar itself had only just had its soft-opening the day before we arrived. As we wandered to a smaller terrace at the back of the roof with a view of the Freedom Tower, Gunnar explained to me that Up on 20 is not supposed to be a night club or a hot spot. Then he used one of our favorite phrases: “We want to be a neighborhood gem – we want to be small place where you can go and enjoy a beer. " Jordan added, "Our emphasis is on customer experience, not the bottom line. ”