We Found Manhattan’s Best Kept Late Night Secret: Introducing Bar Verōnika

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Spherical

Nestled in the heart of Flatiron sits Bar Verōnika, a scene reminiscent of old New York’s gilded glamour era with a modern twist. Think London’s iconic tea bar, Sketch, merged with that of a pop culture photo museum. Every deemed New York hot spot prior to Covid seems to now be overtaken by the likes of a new Gen Z/TikTok generation who’s recently entered the city, and Bar Veronika seems like the first they have yet to discover, making it only that more coveted. Open until 2 am, the swanky spot transports its guests to an intimate evening setting the mood with a seductively lit bar and lounge essential for date night or a night out on the town with friends. Guests can expect everything elegant, from the luxe furniture to the caviar martinis to the decadent French cuisine. 

Photo Credit: Spherical

Created by CultureWorks, the owners of NeueHouse (the private work and social space for creators) and Fotografiska, Bar Verōnika is reigniting the elevated late-night scene in Manhattan. Sitting on the second floor of Fotografiska’s iconic Park Ave building, the decadent space designed by Roman and Williams welcomes guests through a twilight stairwell and into the bar’s playful and lively atmosphere. The bar area features luxurious slipper chairs, intimate lounge sofas, and bar stools. Dramatic archways separate the bar and the dining room, providing an element of softness and a sense of discovery and revelation. The main dining room walls are decorated with curated photographs from Elizaveta Porodina, including vibrant celeb shots of Snoop Dogg, Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and more.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Liz Clayman

If you’re looking for the full Verōnika experience, we recommend starting your night at the bar for pre-dinner cocktails under the direction of Eric Alperin. Delicious as they are creative, the beverage program emphasizes shaken cocktails like Pisco sours and espresso martinis. The bar’s headlining Reserve Martini Tray is everything cool and exquisite as you’d think it would be. A velvet-vested waiter drops off a silver tray with a Chopin Vodka martini (which can be ordered dry, dusted, or wet) complete with Osetra caviar and sour cream, a tiny potato, and dwarf peach. 

After enjoying a cocktail, we suggest making your way to the dining room for a European-inspired dinner. The menu, executed by Chef Dominick Pepe, offers a playful and innovative approach to simple dishes while emphasizing in-season produce, sustainable seafood, humanely raised meats and reinvented classic desserts. The starters are as delicious as the mains featuring the likes of Tuna Tartare, Salt Baked Beets, and Half Shell Maine Scallops. Verōnika classics celebrate sophistication and creativity, including Schnitzels, Chicken & Frites, and Lobster Omelette & Frites. All pasture-raised steaks – from flank to ribeye to wagyu – come with house frites. And, of course, the dessert is as decadent as the rest with their namesakes, a Verōnika Double Chocolate Cake and Verōnika Mille-feuille, a play on long-loved favorites with a modern take.

Photo Credit: Spherical

You heard it from us first, don’t sleep on Bar Verōnika. Visit the restaurant at 281 Park Ave. S, Second Floor, E 22nd St Entrance, New York, NY.