This time of year, the Barbelles tend to suffer from incapacitating ennui, and often need a prod to venture more than a few blocks beyond our usual downtown haunts.
So we were secretly pleased to learn of a new bar opening in Washington Heights – the perfect excuse to pull on our adventure boots and trek to the tippety-top of Manhattan.
The super swanky upstairs lounge attached to Republi’K’s excellent pan-Latin restaurant is already packing in locals and even starting to build a rep south of the George Washington Bridge.
The bling-bling crowd can have the Dom Perignon and Cristal – sold, atypically, by the glass in this futuristic-looking bar dotted with gunmetal chairs, leather couches and screens blaring Spanish rock videos. We preferred to experiment with the colorful cocktail menu, inspired by the Dominican Republic roots of the proprietors.
Our favorites? The luscious Tamagin, made with gin and tamarind juice and the signature Republi-tini (mandarin vodka, Cointreau, cranberry and lime juice.)
Too many of those, and you should head downstairs for the late-night special – the asopado, an entrée-size soup known in the Latin community as the perfect hangover cure.
Republi’K, 114 Dyckman St., between Post and Nagle streets; (212) 304-1717.