There are only a few weeks of summer left, which means it is officially time to stop saying “we should go there” and actually make the reservation—or, in some cases, just show up. New York is at its best this time of year, when dinner can stretch into drinks, sidewalks become extensions of restaurants, and a night out can feel like a mini vacation without ever leaving the city. If you want to squeeze every last drop out of summer, these are five places worth putting on your calendar before Labor Day.
Capitaine, West Village. If there is one restaurant that feels practically designed for late-summer dining, it is Capitaine. This seafood-focused spot brings a classic New York oyster-bar sensibility together with a more European, slightly glamorous atmosphere. The menu is built around seafood, with oysters, shrimp, scallops, lobster rolls and a raw bar, alongside indulgences like caviar, steak frites and whole-lobster dishes. The drinks are equally worth lingering over, with martinis, Negronis, sparkling wine and refreshing cocktails. The room has wood paneling, leather seating and a midcentury feel, making it ideal for the kind of dinner where you dress up a little and pretend you have somewhere important to be afterward. You don’t. That’s the point.
Le Dive, West Village. Summer in New York practically demands an outdoor drink, and Le Dive’s West Village location is one of the places to do it. The French tabac-inspired natural wine bar has the kind of casual atmosphere that makes it easy to sit outside, people-watch and turn an otherwise ordinary afternoon into several hours. The space feels distinctly downtown, with a relaxed energy that works whether you’re stopping by for one drink or settling in for the evening. Order something cold, find a sidewalk table and embrace the most New York summer activity of all: watching everyone else walk by while insisting you are “just having one.”
Bar Chucho, Lower East Side. Some bars are meant for quiet conversation. Bar Chucho is not one of them, and that is precisely why it belongs on this list. The Lower East Side Mexican bar is colorful, energetic and intentionally a little chaotic, with bold décor, music and a menu built around Mexican spirits and small plates. The cocktails are the main event, but you should come hungry enough to order a few things for the table. The real appeal is the atmosphere. It feels like the kind of place where a casual drink can become an entire night, especially if you are with a group that has no interest in going home early. This is one to visit while it still has that exciting feeling of being a neighborhood secret.
Rule of Thirds, Greenpoint. For a summer dinner that feels like you have temporarily escaped New York, make the trip to Rule of Thirds. The Greenpoint restaurant focuses on Japanese izakaya culture, with a menu designed around sharing and a setting that works particularly well in warm weather. Come with a few friends rather than trying to make the meal overly formal. Order several things, open a bottle, linger over the food and let the evening unfold. Greenpoint itself is half the experience: wander the neighborhood before dinner, grab a drink afterward and make an entire night of being somewhere other than Manhattan. This is the kind of summer plan that feels spontaneous even if you made the reservation two weeks ago.
Dean’s, West Village. Finally, there is Dean’s, the lively British-inspired pub that feels made for a warm New York evening. Think dark wood, nautical touches, open windows and a menu full of seafood and pub classics. It is the sort of place where you can come for oysters and a drink but easily find yourself staying for dinner. Order the fish and chips, seafood specials or whatever looks particularly good that night, then settle in with a pint. More than anything, Dean’s feels relaxed. It is a place to sit at the bar, order another drink and realize that the sun has gone down without you noticing.
The common thread among these five places is that none of them require you to make summer more complicated than it needs to be. They are excuses to get dressed, meet friends, sit outside when possible and stay out a little later than you planned. Because September will arrive whether we’re ready or not. The best thing you can do now is give yourself five more reasons to say, “Let’s go out tonight.”
— Your Friend
