Tigre

The team behind Maison Premiere built this Rivington Street cocktail lounge around steel, microsuede, and martini-veined marble, with gold-toned walls and a heavily mirrored bathroom. Reservations run in ninety-minute blocks, latecomers of fifteen minutes or more lose their table to the maitre d's discretion, and there's no standing room to fall back on. The list leans on ice-cold martinis and other obsessively built classics, though the small plates draw a more mixed verdict than the drinks. Two alcoves seating four to seven guests are available for a slightly more private round.