In a city with private space at a premium, where can two people who can’t keep their hands off each other go for a cocktail and a nibble? We scoured New York and found 10 bars and restaurants with nooks perfect for necking, partitions Beyoncé would sing about and seating so comfy, you can’t help but cozy up with your valentine. So go out and have a good time. No one will be watching — we promise.
Rating System:
♥ — Just a tease
♥♥ — Keep it PG
♥♥♥ — Get hot and heavy
♥♥♥♥ — Go all the way
Flute
This Midtown bar and lounge is perfect for a real happy hour. It has three private couches where you can draw the curtains and enjoy a glass of Champagne — and your companion. If you’re unable to score one of the curtainedoff couches, no worries: The rest of the bar is quiet and cozy, and has plenty of plush, cuddle-worthy seating options.
Rating: ♥♥♥
205 W. 54th St.; 212-265-5169, flutebar.com
Raines Law Room
According to bartender Meaghan Dorman, five guys have proposed at this cocktail den. No wonder. Lovers don’t have to worry about interruptions; each table has its own doorbell that you ring when you’re ready for a drink, like the suggestively named Hanky Panky ($13). For the most privacy, ask to be seated on one of the loveseats, which are draped with see-through curtains. To further set the mood, the wallpaper features silhouettes of different sexual positions.
Rating: ♥♥♥
48 W. 17th St.; no phone; raineslawroom.com
Casa La Femme
This traditional Egyptian restaurant has been around for decades, but it’s still a hidden gem for sultans of seduction. Grab a seat on the plush couches hiding behind veiled curtains, order some hookah and cocktails and split the lamb chops. From your kissing casbah, you can see the belly dancers’ show — but, handily, they can’t see yours.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥
140 Charles St.; 212-505-0005, casalafemmeny.com
The Peacock and the Shakespeare
These two new British spots within the William Hotel are both worth checking out. Start in the Peacock, and set the mood in the quiet library bar. Then, head downstairs to the Shakespeare pub. While it might not scream romance from the outset, it has a nice selection of rotating cask ales to loosen things up. And you can ask the manager if you and your boo can get a couple of drinks and bar snacks in the Snug, a closedoff area to the right of the bar. These areas were commonplace in old English and Irish pubs, built for people who wanted to enjoy a drink in private. Per tradition, all service happens directly with a bartender through a private window that opens right into the Snug. Grab some beers, then close it back shut — and you’re left alone with your honey. What happens in the Snug stays in the Snug.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥
24 E. 39th St.; 646-837-6776, thewilliamnyc.com
Zenkichi
While this ultra-romantic Williamsburg haunt is modeled after formal restaurants in Japan used for business dinners, Brooklyn couples come here to get down to business.
Upon entering, diners are asked to turn off their cellphones and are led through a moodsetting maze to a small, private booth, where a bamboo curtain can be drawn for privacy, and servers only appear if you press a button summoning them.
Tables are no bigger than school desks, but that’s OK; there’s enough room for you two to snuggle and feed each other morsels from the seasonal eight-course omakase tasting menu ($65 per person). The light Japanese fare won’t fill you up, so you’ll have plenty of room for dessert — both at the restaurant and back at home.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥
77 N. Sixth St., Brooklyn; 718-388-8985, zenkichi.com
The Third Man
When this Austrian bar is quiet, it’s like a secret garden, with dim lighting and tall plants sprinkled about. Grab a couple of cocktails — try the Sensible Chap ($12), with scotch and ginger — from the bar and mosey on down to the left, where there’s a nook that’s begging to be taken over by you and your partner. If that’s not available, the two big booths are also cozy, but beware of voyeurs outside, who can peep at lovebirds through the two big front windows.
Rating: ♥♥
116 Avenue C; 212-598-1040, thethirdmannyc.com
AMC Loews 84th Street
People are here to watch a movie, not you — so grab one of the 110 red leather-upholstered love seats at this Upper West Side multiplex and pretend you’re still in high school. Just make sure you choose a movie you can watch again on DVD; at this theater it may be hard to keep your eyes on the big screen.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥
2310 Broadway; 212-721- 6023, amctheatres.com
Lovers of Today
Sure, upon opening the front gate and walking down the stairs, it feels like you’re taking the trash out, but inside this tiny East Village cocktail bar, something special is happening.
The ambiance is exclusive but not stuffy, and, as the name suggests, most people here love and let love. There’s a long, comfortable corner on your left when you enter, and two booths for cuddling. And don’t let the barebones decor fool you, there are great cocktails here, like the Fan Mail (aged rum, fresh lime, house-made lavender honey and Champagne; $12) and the Waterloo Sunset (chamomileinfused bourbon, lemon and housemade apple-spice syrup; $12).
Rating: ♥♥♥
132¹/₂ E. Seventh St.; 212-420-9517, loversoftodaynyc.com
Soho Grand Hotel Club Room
In the middle of this unprecedentedly frigid winter, there’s nothing like a place with hot amenities to help warm you up. The hotel’s Club Room has your back, literally, if you can nab one of the comfy couches next to the stone fireplace. The flames are a perfect aphrodisiac for those who like it hot. Warm up even more with one of its twists on classic cocktails, like the French 75 (cognac, lemon juice and sparkling wine instead of Champagne; $16).
Rating: ♥♥
310 West Broadway; 212-965-3588, sohogrand.com
The Jane Hotel Ballroom
Sure, rooms are right upstairs, but the party is happening in the hotel’s ballroom, and that’s where you want to be. It’s a meat market, and the long-legged models and guys in T-shirts and blazers will be too busy dancing to Top 40 to notice you and your guest smooching each other. While the door is notoriously tough for singles, couples typically have an easier time getting in.
Rating: ♥♥♥
113 Jane St.; 212-924-6700, thejanenyc.com