Westlight: Manhattan straight ahead, from the 22nd floor
A glass-walled bar at the top of the William Vale
In northern Williamsburg, The William Vale hotel towers well above the rest of the neighborhood. Its top floor is home to Westlight, a bar from NoHo Hospitality Group. The interior is laid out around a central bar, with black-and-white checkerboard floors, gray banquettes and pops of yellow, all wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows.
Outside, a terrace runs all the way around the room. Yellow telescopes stand there facing Manhattan: across the East River, the view stretches from Midtown and the Empire State Building to the towers of Lower Manhattan. At sunset, it's especially popular.
Crafted cocktails and small plates
The menu mixes house creations and reimagined classics, at around $22 to $25 a glass, with a few nonalcoholic cocktails. To go with them, there's a menu of small plates inspired by street food from around the world: tuna tartare, shrimp dumplings, salt-and-pepper squid or fries. The space can be booked for private events, and special nights are held throughout the year, like on Halloween.
Practical information
Westlight is open Monday through Thursday from 4pm to midnight, Friday from 4pm to 1am, Saturday from noon to 2am and Sunday from noon to midnight. Guests under 21 are admitted only until 6pm. It's best to book online, especially on weekends and around sunset. The entrance is through the hotel, at 111 North 12th Street; the Bedford Avenue (L train) and Nassau Avenue (G train) stations are less than a ten-minute walk away.
