"Those looking for just a bite of something sweet can head to this gorgeously designed dessert bar on Southeast Clinton from star pastry chef Gabriella Martinez and bartender Nan Chaison. At plush eggplant banquettes among dazzling bouquets, couples sip mole milk punches and strawberry cheong-infused Old Fashioneds before digging forks into bone marrow caramel tres leches or Biscoff cookie cheesecake with Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream. Located on a corner packed with stellar restaurants, Libre makes a lovely “let’s keep the night going” stop following a dinner date." - Katrina Yentch
"Libre, of course, I’m fortunate because I can just walk across the street. Gabi Martinez is a sweetheart and probably the most talented pastry chef in the city right now." - Thom Hilton
"I love Gabby’s desserts at Libre – you can’t get those type of desserts out here." - Thom Hilton
"Clinton Street’s Libre is part dessert bar, part cocktail bar, from the people behind the Sweet Creature pop-up and pan-Asian vegan restaurant Norah. The bar menu leans heavily on mezcal, pairing the smoky agave spirit with everything from espazote citrus bitters or Aimsir cold brew bourbon. Drinks range from the spirit-forward to the bright and light; the mole milk punch with vanilla and lime lands somewhere in between. Gabriella Martinez designs desserts that work with similar flavor palettes, like El Principo, which combines corn husk meringue and sweet corn mousse with mezcal epazote gel." - Janey Wong, Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"Gabriella Martinez, co-owner and pastry chef at Libre, describes the challenges faced by the restaurant during the ice storm, including the decision-making process regarding whether to open and the impact of the weather on the business." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden