NYCGuide
Where To Get A G&T And Give Back In NYC
Presented by
The Botanist
This content is produced by The Infatuation in partnership with The Botanist.
If there were cocktail list superlatives, the gin and tonic would be voted “Most Popular.” If you don’t know what to order, a gin and tonic never fails - as long as it’s made with The Botanist Islay Dry Gin.
To celebrate the hopeful spring season and support local bars and restaurants as they rebuild for the future, The Botanist is donating $5 to the Independent Restaurant Coalition for every Botanist & Tonic sold during April and May, up to a total donation of $25,000. Kicking off on National Gin & Tonic Day on April 9, here are some participating locations to find a Botanist & Tonic in New York City.
The Spots
This Williamsburg rooftop cocktail bar crafts a Botanist & Tonic just as exciting as the view, with stinging nettle, tonic water and hopped grapefruit bitters. Pair it with a spiced chicken empanadas and the burrata with orange jam.
Four Horsemen is one of our go-to spots in Williamsburg for a glass of natural wine, sitting up by the window or at the bar. They have an equally appealing Botanist & Tonic, made for drinking with any of their seafood offerings or a more comforting ham and Comté cheese sandwich.
photo credit: David Lee
This Carroll Gardens date spot has a Botanist & Tonic made with manzanilla sherry, banana liqueur, and a housemade lemongrass cinchona tonic, topped with a lemon twist. So grab a drink, some tacos, ceviche or their enchiladas and head out to the back patio.
This roomy Irish pub in the East Village has a great selection of bar bites like Irish bacon toasties, sausage rolls, and Tayto crisps (Irish chips) plus a Botanist & Tonic.
Da Capo on the Upper West Side is all about house made tonics, sodas and bitters. So it makes sense to order the Big in Japan: made with The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, Thai chili pepper, basil syrup, lemon, and orange juice.
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You don’t necessarily have to suit up for a gin and tonic at this Italian spot on the second floor of the Langham Place Fifth Avenue Hotel, but you won’t feel out of place if you do. Sip the Fiori Gin & Tonic made with The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, Meyer lemon cordial, and orange and saffron.
This quiet bar on the northern edge of Greenwich Village is a nice spot for serious conversations and serious cocktails, without all the too-serious cocktail talk. Try their spring-appropriate Botanist & Tonic with fresh strawberries.
This East Village bar does Italian-inspired cocktails and a menu of bar snacks like oysters and sliders. There’s also an oversized patio for enjoying a gin and tonic when things get balmy.
The casual younger sibling to Restaurant Daniel, Bar Boulud is a French spot near Lincoln Center and is definitely still fancy. But the service is first class without being stiff, just like their Botanist & Tonic.
Casa La Femme serves northern Egyptian dishes like koshary, mousaka, and mahshi. They’ve brought the romantic feel of their dining room to the sidewalk with their greenery-covered outdoor dining space - the perfect spot for an early evening g&t.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
If you’re looking for a special vegan or vegetarian meal on the Lower East Side, Dirt Candy should be your first choice. You won’t just find vegetables on your plate either - their take on a gin and tonic includes The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, celery, shiso, and tonic.
The spot in Midtown East does the sort of classics we like from a French restaurant like snails, foie gras, beef tartare, charcuterie, and cheese, plus classic drinks to match. There are also dishes that nod at the owner’s Alsatian background, like smoked pork sausage with sauerkraut and Dijon mustard.
Unsurprisingly, outdoor dining at Daniel isn’t just a few tables on a sidewalk. You can’t miss the red and white striped cabins with peaked roofs and porthole windows where you can eat a three-course prix fixe menu, inspired by Provence. If you’re looking to take the fine dining experience home, they’ve got a Botanist & Tonic to-go kit.
Yes, this is another steakhouse in FiDi, but it’s a Wall St classic that’s been open since 1972 and is worth the visit. Try their special Botanist cocktail with tonic cordial, juniper berries, citrus, sage, and soda.
Lena’s Lower East Side location is the original for this French wine bar and restaurant. Their menu mixes French regional classics like “Tarte Flambee” (French Pizza), Duck Confit, and Beef Bourguigno”. It’s a nice spot to enjoy a Botanist & Tonic with your friends.
Mercado Little Spain is a food hall in Hudson Yards, with a bunch of grab-and-go tapas kiosks that serve things like empanadas, flatbreads, croquetas, and cured meats. There are also a couple of bars where you can pick up a Botanist & Tonic.
This cocktail spot in Harlem offers mixed drinks with ingredients like citrus bitters and absinthe if you’re in the mood for something complicated. Or, when you inevitably can’t decide what to order but want something simple yet refreshing and perfect - their Botanist & Tonic with bergamot.
Wayan in Nolita features Indonesian satay bowls, salads, and sandwiches and is great for a casual date. They have four different Botanist & Tonics on the menu - try the version with calamansi, honey, and citrus tonic - plus a build your own set where you can mix and match tonics and garnishes.
The Musket Room serves American-ish dishes like uni toast, roasted chicken, and lamb shanks in a sundrenched space, made for pairing with a Botanist & Tonic.
Mister Paradise is a great spot that’s kind of fancy but not trying too hard, with interesting drinks and a fried chicken sandwich we’d recommend to go with them.
Dear Irving is on the 40th floor of the Aliz Hotel, with 360 degree views to enjoy while you drink a cocktail. The food menu is filled with the kind of fancy bar food you’d expect to find at a hotel like bite-sized crab cakes, mini wagyu sliders, and mushroom croquettes.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Lighthouse in Greenpoint has sidewalk tables, plus giant open windows into the dining room letting in lots of natural light. Everything on the Mediterranean menu is fantastic, and you shouldn’t miss their oyster happy hour.
This American spot in Chelsea is two blocks from the Hudson River and a few steps from The Highline. So whether you’re spending the afternoon taking in views of Jersey or tourists from Jersey, stop by afterwards for a gin and tonic, oysters, and a cheeseburger topped with a fried egg.
photo credit: Izzy Rose
This Clinton Hill bar has colorful cocktails and vegan Mexican foods on their currently pared down menu. When the weather warms up, scoot to the open-air backyard.
This two-story Mediterranean restaurant on Bayard Street in Williamsburg has a heated outdoor patio perfect for some grilled octopus and croquetas outside while you drink a Botanist & Tonic.
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
Crown Shy is a master at taking simple-sounding menu descriptions and making phenomenal food, and that extends to the drinks menu, where you’ll find a Botanist & Tonic with elderflower tonic and lemon. Make sure to get the gruyere fritters and pull-apart olive loaf with labneh to go with it.
The Dutch serves up American classics like pork ribs with pomegranate, lime leaf, and peanuts, scallion chipotle cornbread, shrimp with heirloom beans and blood orange, and more. The cocktail menu does a similar thing, featuring The Botanist Islay Dry Gin cocktail with cucumber, orange bitters and a lime wheel.
Classic Italian food meets high-end fashion at Nittis (the owners also operate a fancy designer clothing brand). A dining room decked out with antiques and a vintage gold cash register is the perfect setting for a pink gin and tonic made with berry and citrus-infused The Botanist and a cherry blossom tonic.
