Parla

"Parla is the perfect place to go when things are getting a tad too predictable at your favorite bar. While they do serve small bites and pastas, we recommend coming here for the cocktails. The space is speakeasy-esque, so think dim, small, intimate. For the true experience, let fate decide the outcome of your night by rolling a 20-sided die to determine which cocktail you’ll get. Depending on your roll, that might be a sweet drink served in a very small plastic trash can, or something normal like a negroni bianco. If this sounds outside your comfort zone, the menu has plenty of listed drinks featuring fun twists on old classics. Just don’t blame us if your Old Fashioned feels a bit boring compared to the mystery concoction the person next to you is sipping on." - lala thaddeus

"The arc of the The Smith restaurants seems to be mimicking the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: In the beginning, they were pretty good and filled a specific need, with a little something for everyone. But with the group’s first pizza spot, Parla on the Upper West Side, they’ve entered what we’re calling Phase 5 of the Smith Restaurant Universe. And, like with the MCU, we just can’t bring ourselves to care about their brand of broad appeal anymore. Parla is pleasant enough, if formulaic, with unstained wood finishes and a set of big windows. The $17 Little Gem salad is big and unobjectionable, and, maybe if they cranked the oven up a couple of degrees, the bland pizza wouldn’t bring back memories of elementary school lunch ladies. They’ve also got cocktails, pastas and smaller bites like burrata with pesto—so if you need an easy UWS dinner option with kids and default to Parla, we’d understand. If not, go on and find somewhere that makes you feel…something." - Will Hartman

"Parla is probably the coolest restaurant in a neighborhood that doesn’t have a lot of places you’d use that adjective for. That’s what you get when you combine a menu that includes a picture of Biggie Smalls, really good cocktails, and copper decor that will make you want to call the bartender “barkeep.” We suggest sticking with the bites and small plates." - dan secatore

"An eight-year-old cocktail gem in Boston’s North End, intimate space with a small dining room and just four seats at the bar, known for its interesting shrubs and shrub-based cocktails." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal

"Parla general manager Matt Schafer created his Hot Buttered Bourbon recipe while snowed in with (gasp!) no rum. It turns out that Rock & Rye is a delicious substitute, especially when combined with a brown sugar butter batter infused with cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, allspice, and fenugreek. If you enjoy it, ask for the next hot drink from the “My Favorite Flannel” category of the menu." - Katie Faust Stryjewski