We’ve all seen subway ads portraying a beautiful beach somewhere in the Caribbean or Hawaii. Everyone is barely dressed and smiling, and there’s a tagline on it somewhere saying “You could be here,” or “Need a vacation?”  Juxtapose this against the passed out drunk homeless guy desperately in need of a shower and the overall drabness of a mass of underground travelers, and you might find yourself saying, “Maybe I do need a vacation…”

But who really has the time or money for a vacation to someplace tropical?  The next best thing has to be the drinks at the SOHO cocktail lounge known as Lani Kai.  Once inside, you may feel like you’ve just stepped in off the surf for some beachside nightlife.  The tropical plant-covered deck leading up to the bar will make the cars driving by on Broome street sound like waves crashing on the shore.  Lani Kai, roughly translated as ‘Heavenly Waters,’ is a Julie Reiner creation.  Reiner is known in the New York cocktail world for the famous Flatiron Lounge, and the newer Clover Club in Brooklyn.  This place, however, is closer in resemblance to her home state of Hawaii.

Pacific inspired eats include an array of seafood snack options like oyster burgers and mussels as well as Hawaiian style entrees like pineapple braised short ribs.  For sharing, a Pupu platter is the way to go.  Four selections come surrounding a decorative, yet very real fire, which adds a little atmosphere to the enchanting flavors.  The escabeche tacos are the perfect companion to that artisanal tiki cocktail you’re tippling. 

As wholly paradise-inspired as this hideaway is, it begs to not be written off as hokey or amateur.  Let’s not forget, this is a New York City cocktail lounge, not an all-inclusive resort serving pre-mix daiquiris.  The cocktail menu is expansive and quite diverse.  There are plenty of drinks served in curvy, oversized glasses over crushed ice, garnished with a flower (made with fresh, high quality, and thoughtful ingredients, mind you).  But the menu doesn’t forget that the lounge is located in Downtown Manhattan, as shown by the listing of classics like the Martinez and New York Sour.  That said, if you’re making the trip to Lani Kai, your mini vacation isn’t complete without a brain freeze from one of the traditional swizzles.

 

Featured Cocktail:  Pacific Swizzle (White rum infused with rosehip, lemongrass and hibiscus tea, lime juice, and passion fruit)

Swizzles (referring to the swizzle-type stick used to mix the drink) and other tiki-style drinks can sometimes become a bit muddy with all the different ingredients some bartenders like to throw at them.  It’s kind of like blending one too many colors together and ending up with brown.  This one, however, remains tasty and refreshing, even if you can’t pick out each individual flavor on every sip.  And the presentation, well...this is a vacation, right?