Molly T.
Yelp
Would I have gone to Chez Zou if I hadn't had a reservation at Zou Zou's that night? Probably not. But that's mainly because I do not frequent Hudson Yards. It's not for me. But if I do find myself in this area, I will absolutely be sleuthing out where my money will be best spent. And money will definitely spent if you stay here long enough, which I guess is the Hudson Yards way. Cocktails here, while excellent, are on average priced much higher than your average sip at the premier cocktails bars in the city. While the menu isn't up online, I knew that would be the case given the clientele. So, if you walk in with all of that knowledge, you'll definitely find some things here that you like. There's both a fun and breezy outdoor space and a beautifully designed, sexy indoor space. The drinks are creative and sometimes gimmicky, but all delicious.
**BE ADVISED** there are different menus for outdoors and indoors, a fact that was revealed to us mostly on accident. I asked about one of the martinis on the menu that was described as "petite" and priced lower. Our server told us that it was just a smaller version of the house martini served inside, which prompted me to ask questions about the menus. I had a hunch that outdoor menu seemed unusually small, and it turns out that the indoor menu is much more extensive and exciting. Not that there 's anything wrong with the outdoor menu, it's just not giving *cocktail haunt* in the same way that the indoor menu is. So, perhaps to the dismay of our host, we moved inside promptly (thankfully, there was plenty of space inside). My partner initially put up a fight because it was so nice outside, but cocktails win out every time. That's marriage for you!
Once we got indoors, I breathed a sigh of relief. This was the menu I showed up for! There's a section on martinis and gibsons, stirred/strong/boozy, highballs, shaken and daiquiris/frozen drinks. We tried to get a variety without getting too drunk before dinner.
First, I got the Saffron Gibson (Gin & Saffron-Infused Vermouth, House Pickles), which is one of the gimmicky drinks. It's served in this curious vessel that looks suspiciously like a repurposed bong. But a really fancy one. There are two chambers: one for the gin, one for the vermouth. Pickled onions are served on the side. So, you can mix and garnish as you wish. Not completely as you wish, though, because you can only make your drink so wet by pouring more vermouth in without gin beginning to spill out of the larger chamber. Not the worst problem to have, I guess. I should also say -- and you can determine if this is a problem or not -- that this felt like significantly more than just one drink. You can either get a single or double martini (as listed on the menu) and this was definitively a single, but it felt like a lot, so I didn't finish it. Still tasty!
My partner opted for the Island Boys (Guatemalan Rum, Raspberry, Cucumber, Lime), which was garnished expertly with cucumbers and raspberries. It looks fairly straightforward on paper but it was beautifully executed and nice to look at, too.
To finish, we split the Heliopolis (Whiskey, Green Apple, Yuzu, Mustard Seed, Horseradish). There used to be this incredible bar on Houston Street called Suffolk Arms whose reign came to an end for too soon. It's signature drink was just called "horseradish and apple" and they claimed that they could put any spirit in there and make it taste great (they delivered, I can promise you that). This drink was clearly reminiscent of that so we had to try it. While the flavor profile was actually quite different, it was still a superb drink. Whiskey and green apple have an affinity for each other, the yuzu added sweet/citrus elements and the mustard seed/horseradish balanced it all out with their savory notes. Maybe not a typical nightcap but a great one all the same.