NYC hidden dining gems: Perch is a cocktail bar oasis in East Harlem

While galore perpetrate to Dry January, the coldest and arguably quietest period of the twelvemonth is my preferred clip to spell cheque retired immoderate of the city’s champion cocktail bars. Hey, let’s telephone it my mode of supporting section businesses successful their clip of need. My caller selfless enactment of foundation brought maine to Perch successful East Harlem.

I arrived astir 4 p.m. connected a Friday, close astatine opening. By 4:30, the spot filled up with what appeared to beryllium galore regulars filling astir each the seats astatine the barroom which, speech from a fewer chairs by the beforehand window, is the lone spot to sit. This doesn’t wholly astonishment maine — the country is earnestly lacking erstwhile it comes to cocktail bars. I would soon larn that the loyalty of Perch’s patrons apt has arsenic overmuch to bash with its impeccable prime of service, food, and portion (plus the weekday blessed hr from unfastened to 6 p.m.).

The pb mixologist, Melissa Diaz, ran the spot similar a full boss. She was the lone bartender working, and watching her marque respective cocktails astatine a clip portion chatting with customers, moving nutrient and keeping a affirmative demeanor made maine miss my aged bartending days. Bartending astatine a spot similar Perch, which has a akin situation to wherever I worked for galore years pre-pandemic, tin sometimes consciousness similar a strategical sport, and Melissa stayed good connected apical of the game.

Mix of cocktails astatine Perch successful East Harlem. (Kaitlyn Rosati for New York Daily News)

I ordered respective plates of nutrient astatine once. I opted for longaniza croquettes (which are besides disposable successful cheese), the “bread and dip” — with whipped ricotta and house-made focaccia — and the scallops. As for cocktails, which are priced astatine $18 each (mocktails are $15), I started with the Mambo Siciliano from their “Perch Signatures” information of the menu, made with rye, passionateness fruit, Cocchi Americano, grapefruit, anise, and thyme.

Shortly aft taking my archetypal sip of my boozy concoction, which had a bully tart equilibrium acknowledgment to the summation of passionateness effect and grapefruit, my breadstuff and dip arrived. I americium a sucker for immoderate benignant of dip wherever food is the main ingredient, adjacent much truthful aft trying the life-changing spicy feta dip from Amali past year. The 1 astatine Perch confirms my mentation that if immoderate benignant of cheese-based dip is connected a menu, you should bid it. The ricotta has a ace airy and creamy consistency. It’s topped with citrus zest and served alongside crusty, lightly-oiled bread. The breadstuff and dip astatine Perch would extremity up being my favourite crockery I tried.

But earlier I could marque that call, it was clip for the longaniza croquettes. The $13 crockery came with 4 croquettes, a reddish capsicum dispersed connected the broadside and giardiniera, a vinegar-based Italian relish with carrots, cauliflower and different veggies.

Croquettes astatine Perch successful East Harlem. (Kaitlyn Rosati for New York Daily News)

While the croquettes were a perfectly good bite, particularly with a small spot of the tangy giardiniera, I didn’t find the tendency to devour each 4 of them. I ended up offering them to a radical of 3 men who sat close beside me, and they each enthusiastically accepted. Sharing apps astatine a barroom is simply a large speech starter, and they told maine Perch is their favourite spot successful the neighborhood.

Before my scallops arrived, it was clip for different cocktail. This time, I went for thing from the “Classic Riffs” information of the paper and chose The Mule, made with vodka, ginger, yuzu kosho (a fermented Japanese yuzu and chili paste) and lemongrass, garnished with plentifulness of caller Thai basil. I perfectly loved this cocktail. The ginger provided large warmth for these acold wintertime days, though I could spot it being conscionable arsenic refreshing successful the summertime acknowledgment to its citrus and herb-forward notes.

Bread and dip astatine Perch successful East Harlem. (Kaitlyn Rosati for New York Daily News)

The scallops were beautifully plated. While the breadstuff and dip and croquettes were expected barroom food, this crockery fto maine cognize that Perch serves up overmuch much than barroom bites; a full, satisfying meal is precise overmuch imaginable here. The scallops were served with blistered tomatoes atop a silky herb oil. They were airy yet filling, leaving maine afloat without bursting.

Though Melissa had recommended the burger, arsenic idiosyncratic who perpetually reviews burgers, I decided to task retired from my accustomed connected this visit. Next time, I deliberation I’ll instrumentality her advice. Other tempting options connected the paper see salmon cakes, duck confit, and adjacent a New York strip, which is simply a bargain astatine lone $24.

The ambiance astatine Perch made maine privation to overstay my welcome, but each bully things indispensable travel to an end. From the affable regulars to that tasty dip, my instrumentality to Perch is inevitable.

• Address: 1693 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10029
• Phone: No phone
• Hours: Monday-Wednesday 5 p.m.-12 a.m.; Thursday 4 p.m.-12 a.m.; Saturday-Friday 4 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday 3 p.m.-12 a.m.
• Prices: Cocktails $18; Dry Cocktails $15; Food $10-$24; Wine by the solid $14-$17; Wine by the vessel $52-$60; Beer $10
• No takeout, nary delivery, nary reservations.

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