Overstory — Restaurant in New York

I have been to Overstory at least 10 times in the last year. There is simply nothing to compare it to. While this review is 5 stars but there are definitely some notes here.

Let’s start with the bar itself. Overstory is located in 70 pine street which is home to two other sister establishments, Crown Shy and SAGA. Both of which are 1 and 2 Michelin star establishments respectively. Overstory is definitely on the more approachable side of things. While there is no dress code you will want to take pictures with the view so most people are dressed quite nicely. The ambiance is quiet, relaxed and conversational. If you come on a weekend and during peak hours the wait can be diabolically long because they keep a low capacity which I appreciate. It never truly feels crowded. My advice is to come right when they open or an hour and a half before they close. I have never had to wait during those times. The location is quite out of the way for tourists so the clientele feels more local and usually people truly trying to relax. Fairly unique for a flagship Manhattan establishment.

The cocktail program is stellar with bartenders who are incredibly in tune with their ingredients and preparation methods. As a professional bartender myself, I can say the expertise of the staff here is palpable. The signature cocktails are for the most part fantastic and the staff can definitely help direct you towards the ones you will enjoy the most. If you have questions about ingredients or liquors, they have the answers. The menu also includes great n/a cocktails which I appreciate. Although I do wish there were a few more n/a options. At a bar of this caliber I would expect to see an n/a beer other than athletic brewing. There are many other delicious beer options that reflect a more thoughtful and curated selection. Depending on the visit I also order off menu classic cocktails because the bartenders here are not playing around. They know how to make fantastic drinks and I trust them with my life. Special mention to Atticus, he has provided my guests and I with fantastic drinks for my past 3 visits.

The prices here are high but completely justified. Cocktails range from $25-35 and include unique tastes and beautiful presentations. This is not a tourist trap, simply a bar of such prestige that those prices are expected. There is no other bar at that price point that offers what Overstory does. Other establishments either underperform on cocktail quality, service, experience or all of those things combined. Overstory delivers on each of those points exceptionally well.

Recently, I have noticed the service slipping slightly. This is something no one would notice if they visited just once but having been so many times it becomes visible. Upon entering the indoor bar area and sitting, I would hope each guest would be greeted promptly. On the past two occasions it took several minutes to make contact with a server. I understand that table service might end at a certain time of evening but a simple note to “order with the bartender” upon entering would prevent any confusion or excess waiting by guests. Also I feel that there used to be more guidance given to guests on the continuity of service. When we are first seated, explaining that we can leave our bags at our table while going outside would make new guests feel more familiar and comfortable. I feel comfortable doing this but other people might drag their bags around and dampen their own experience. This is definitely something that used to be communicated but I haven’t heard it recently.

Overstory now collects a payment method before you go up the elevator and instituted a one drink per person minimum. I can see how this became necessary but it does unfortunately roughen up the entry experience.

A final note is that while the views are impeccable and the drinks are fantastic, the interior decor is beginning to feel dated. It’s not quite out of style but it’s not quite classic enough to survive...

Opened in late 2021 and located on the 63rd and 64th floors, respectively, the fine-dining restaurant SAGA and cocktail bar Overstory, offer a wraparound wrought-iron terrace with 360-degree views of the New York City skyline. The remarkably rapid elevator ride up to the new spaces stops at the 63rd floor. Those lucky enough to have secured a reservation at the recent two Michelin-starred SAGA are greeted with a welcome cocktail as they exit the elevator at the restaurant’s bar, the centerpiece of the room.

Take the stairs another floor up to reach Overstory, a 26-seat bar with an open-air terrace that can accommodate 40 people. Overstory's wrap around and uninterrupted view from its Financial district location is breathtaking, whether it's at sunset or after dinner, when NY is at its best. Overstory could be best described as an oval-shaped jewel box in the sky. Designed by MN, the bar’s interior is characterized by blush plaster walls, burgundy banquettes, and modeled on a vintage theater marquee. The staff at Overstory are beautifully dressed in pink pastel uniforms and will wow you with their friendliness and execution. It should be no surprise they won Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award in the inaugural 2022 edition North America’s 50 Best Bars.

Bar Director Harrison Ginsberg (ex-BlackTail and Dead Rabbit), Bar manager Chris Figueroa and Head bartender Chris Lemperle have crafted a cocktail list worthy of the view. The drinks are prepared with rare ingredients and complex methods but presented in an accessible way to the guest.

The Terroir Old Fashioned is a tequila cocktail that is meant to express not only the specific terroir of the Jalisco-based tequila but also the other ingredients in the cocktail: VEP Yellow Chartreuse from the Chartreuse Mountains in France, Vin Jaune from the Jura region of France, Palo Santo from the Yucatan Peninsula, and sea salt harvested at Fort Tilden near Coney Island, which can be seen from the 70 Pine’s terraces. The drink’s sweetener is a caramelized agave nectar, cooked in a large saucepan to reduce and darken it, resulting in a deep, caramelized flavor and intensified agave characteristic. The drink is garnished with a piece of homemade honeycomb created by the restaurant’s pastry kitchen and a sprinkle of salt. Though tequila is the base spirit, the drink has a deep whiskey-like quality from the caramelized agave syrup. The result is a Mounds candy bar flavor with herbaceous and vanilla notes from the prestigious barrel-aged yellow chartreuse.

After sunset, the disco ball is fired up, further adding to the charm of Overstory. More than a bar, Overstory is a destination, or experience, that every cocktail bar lover should experience at least once in their lives. The emotion of drinking at Overstory is comparable to that of enjoying a Martini at Atlas. But instead of James Bond, you'll feel like a mix of Andy Warhol and Don Draper, with a view of New York that will make the Manhattan you are drinking all that...

Overstory would get a 6 out 5 if it were not for the unfortunate experience I had with the front of the house (check-in downstairs reception).

This place is fantastic; the views, the vibe, the drinks are amazing, the bartenders are very friendly and nice. We even received a welcome drink and a departure drink on the house. All outstanding; however, we had a completely unnecessary and unpleasant experience with the front of the house (check-in downstairs reception) ruined it.

We had a reservation for 10:30 pm for 4, and were having dinner at Crown Shy (sister restaurant downstairs) before this reservation. Dinner at Crown Shy was running 20 minutes over, so I got up from dinner and walked over to the Overstory check-in at 10:30 pm to inform the receptionist that we were running late. I asked the reception to please hold our table for drinks. The receptionist told me that they could only hold the table for a maximum of 15 mins, and if not, the table would be given away to someone else. She was not flexible or kind. I went back to Crown Shy and told my party that we needed to finish eating quickly and pay the bill or else our table at Overstory would be given away. We rushed dinner, skipped dessert, and promptly headed to the Overstory reception.

What happened next was incredibly obnoxious. We were let upstairs to Overstory and ended up waiting over 45 mins standing up, waiting for our table. Why could the receptionist not have told us that checking in 20 mins late was not a problem, given that our table was not even ready? In the whole process the receptionist was so unkind and unhelpful.

The front of the house needs to be kind, flexible, and supportive, not rude, obnoxious, and uninformed. Unfortunately, the receptionist's actions ruined the end of our dinner at Crown Shy and our experience at Overstory.

I hope this helps you improve and to hire better qualified staff for...