Kathleen Fong and Charitin Salas dip into fondue at the chalet-like Conosur in Chelsea. Sip an espresso cocktail with whipped cream in the cozy candle-lit dining room and check out the balcony’s “alpine forest.” (
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Swiss spot Cafe Select has delectable pots of fondue for an “après-ski” meal in SoHo. (
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A SNOWY MIDTOWN OASIS
Haven Rooftop at the Sanctuary Hotel
The moose head perched on the wall and skis propped all around cotton snowbanks outside the rooftop lounge doors are the first signs that you’ve stumbled upon a ski-lodge-type retreat in Midtown. The space is dotted with evergreens — and a snow-making machine adds to the frosty feel.
“I don’t ski — I’m bigger on après-ski . . . the elevator opens up, and it’s like you’re in Aspen — you don’t even have to get on the plane!” says Sanctuary special events director Julianna Melamed.
This 10th-floor bar, which opened in the summer and is a favorite of Carmen Electra and Maria Sharapova, got a wintry revamp — and a tent — when it debuted its après-ski chalet in January.
Beat the cold with hot drinks such as the boozy apple-cider “spiker” and the desserty Peppermint Cream, made with minty hot cocoa, Molly’s Spice Cream and topped with crushed candy cane and whipped cream ($14 each). Spoon creme brulee or coppa mascarpone ($12 each) from glass ramekins while you listen to DJs (Wednesdays through Saturdays). Here with a group? Try a “Shot Ski” ($28) — four shots of chilled Russian Standard vodka served on a ski.
132 W. 47th St.; 212-466-9000, havenrooftop.com
WINTRY WRITERS LOUNGE
Aspen Social Club
Hunter S. Thompson wasn’t a skier, but he was an Aspen resident — so owner Greg Brier, a former Aspener himself, used the gonzo legend and his own love for the sport as inspiration when opening this spot inside Midtown’s Stay Hotel. Cocktails on offer include the Biff, a shot of Baileys Irish Cream topped with Chivas Regal — a favorite tipple of Thompson’s, who was friendly with Brier’s parents.
Because he doesn’t live in Colorado anymore, Brier also wanted to bring a bit of his old home to New York.
“I learned how to crawl, then I learned how to ski,” he says.
You can get into winter sports without breaking a sweat at this dark-wood-paneled chic chalet, thanks to skiing and snowboarding videos. And relax with some light jazz playing softly in the background. The spot, popular for private parties, attracts a Midtown mix of corporate suits tapping away on their BlackBerrys, tourists mapping out their next destination and pretty young things quietly chatting.
Plaid-clad bartenders shake it up with tipples such as the popular “Rotten to the Core” ($12), a hot drink made with Wild Turkey, apple cider and apple brandy. Food-wise, dunk into a bubbling pot of four-cheese fondue ($15), popular on the Colorado-inspired menu.
157 W. 47th St.; 212-221-7200, aspensocialclub.com
CHEESE-OBSESSED CHALET
Fondue Room at Cafe Select
Ski posters and snowboards on the walls (a wooden sled hangs behind the bar) evoke a mountain lodge in this tiny SoHo spot, where Swiss flags and red paper lanterns are strung from the ceiling. You have to walk through the kitchen to get there, but once you enter the cozy après-ski fondue room tucked in the back of Cafe Select, settle at a table, and sip a mulled wine ($8) or spiked apple cider, available with whiskey or rum ($12). On a recent Tuesday night, the eclectic crowd ranged from buttoned-up prim-and-pearls blondes to tousled ski bums in knit caps.
Dunk some bread into their gooey fondue offerings, which range from a white truffle oil to herb to tomato varieties ($40 to $46).
212 Lafayette St.; 212-925-9322, cafeselectnyc.com
FOREST RETREAT
Conosur at the Hotel Americano
Gaze out at an “alpine forest” on the balcony, which twinkles with blue lights, as you warm up inside this serene spot on the 10th floor of the sleek Hotel Americano. Sure, you have to trek over to far West Chelsea to enjoy it — but once you’re there, you’ll sink into plush sheepskin pelts that cover every stool and chair. Candles on each table add to the chalet ambience.
“You’re transported to a magical place, sort of Patagonia meets Gstaad, which is an anomaly in New York City,” says interior designer Melody Weir, a frequent customer from the Upper East Side.
Once settled, order a Danny el Fuego ($18), a warming concoction made from Disaronno amaretto, Laird’s apple brandy and allspice dram, and named after the bartender of the same name.
“Danny was ‘on fire’ to come up with a great recipe,” says Thierry Chouquet, food and beverage director.
Other specialty sips include red and white wines by the glass with a twist — they’re poured from a magnum for showmanship. “You’re looking for some sense of abundance,” explains Chouquet. “When you’re at the table, a big bottle opens up a conversation.”
Latin- and French-inspired cheeses and charcuterie will fill your belly, but the sweetest way to experience that post-ski pleasure is to dunk marshmallows, bananas and apples into a mini cauldron of chocolate fondue, $21 (try to resist drinking the melty goodness straight from the pot).
518 W. 27th St.; 212-525-0000, hotel-americano.com