Porchlight
Cocktail bar · Chelsea
271 11th Ave, New York, NY 10001
Highlights
Southern-inspired cocktails & small bites in a handsome space
Southern-inspired cocktails & small bites in a handsome space
"We don’t often review bars here at The Infatuation, especially ones on the far west side of the city. As a matter of fact, before making my way across town to check out Porchlight, I was 99% sure that 11th Avenue was an NYC urban legend, like buildings that don’t have a 13th floor, or sewer gators. So if we don’t cover cocktails and we hardly ever come to this part of NYC, why are we reviewing Porchlight? Because Porchlight isn’t just a bar. Porchlight is a drinking establishment brought to you by the king of hospitality and hamburgers, Danny Meyer. And as we suspected, it’s better than your average mixology spot, thanks not only to the cocktails, but also the details. The drinks are well-crafted, the service is top notch, and we’re big fans of the space that Porchlight occupies, which is ideally situated for both a two-person meet up and a ten-person get-together, thanks to a game room in the back. Being that the point of our platform is food, and that we’re not sure what to say about drinks beyond taking every opportunity we can to use the word “swizzle,” let’s talk about what Porchlight offers to eat. The menu is a collection of what we’ll call Cajun bar bites, consisting of small plates like boudin balls, frog legs, and fried oysters. And while none of it will particularly blow your mind, all of it will serve as an excellent accompaniment to a stiff drink and a discussion with a friend about how much you hate your boss, or whether or not alligators really do live under the street. Food Rundown Avocado & Crab Toast You eat it for breakfast, why not eat it while you drink? Order the avocado crab toast. Crispy Natchitoches Spring Rolls The idea here is Cajun spring rolls - basically a Louisiana meat pie rolled up into a crispy shell. You want some. Tom’s Balls We’re not sure who Tom is or why he gets to have his balls on this menu, but we’re assuming you have to do something pretty awesome to achieve such a thing. So congrats on that, Tom. Fresh Baked Cookies Get drunk, eat cookies. That’s my motto. What’s yours?" - Chris Stang
"Porchlight is a big bar on 28th Street near the Hudson River, and it’s run by the same people behind Union Square Cafe and Maialino. It has some great cocktails divided into categories like “Sippers” and “Guzzlers,” as well as sandwiches and salads to snack on, and with its brick walls and hardwood floors, it feels like an upscale tavern that isn’t full of undergrads playing various drinking games. All the tables are first-come-first-served at night, but it doesn’t get insanely busy, and you should be able to find some seats." - bryan kim
"When: Mon-Sat, 3pm-7pm; All Day Sunday The Deal: $11 select cocktails; $5 flask of punch; $7-9 select beers Porchlight is a bar in Chelsea brought to you by the king of hospitality and hamburgers, Danny Meyer. The drinks are well-crafted, they have interesting Cajun-adjacent bar snacks, and we’re big fans of the space, which is ideal both a two-person meet up and a 10-person get-together." - bryan kim, neha talreja
"Porchlight is a big space way west on 11th Avenue operated by Danny Meyer, which means it’s one of the better run bars around. This is a great go-to when you need to gather a large group in a fun, unpretentious environment. They have a great booze selection, as well as some excellent takes on bar food, including everything crab avocado toast to chocolate chip cookies." - katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg
"Porchlight is a huge cocktail bar in Chelsea that always seems to be just the right amount of crowded. You can usually get your own table, but the dark space also has some communal seating and a huge bar area. This place makes very good cocktails, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and there’s a room in the back where people play Jenga and eat Southern-influenced bar food like hush puppies and smoked cheddar biscuits." - team infatuation
