From espresso martinis to dirty twists, it feels like every restaurant and bar in New York these days has a martini—or several—on the menu. After years of complicated, ornately garnished drinks, the minimalist—and highly customizable libation—is back. But did it ever leave?
What’s new is the surge of unusual and inventive interpretations.
At Lindens in the Arlo Soho hotel, head bartender Amanda Lee leans into peak-season tomatoes to create a Caprese salad-inspired version with Boursin cheese-infused vodka. In the East Village, seafood-focused Smithereens spotlights the ocean with its house seaweed martini. Union Square’s Vietnamese restaurant La Dong offers a rambutan twist in place of the once-ubiquitous lychee martini, while Le Veau d’Or channels dive-bar nostalgia with a version served alongside “dirty” ice.
Few drinks hit the spot quite like a martini. Below, discover the spots to sip them.
Don Antonio’s Mamma Roma
At his Neapolitan pizzeria Don Antonio, owner Matteo Bassani turned to the martini as inspiration for a new stirred cocktail. Torn between the elegance of a lemon twist and the brininess of a dirty martini, he landed on a hybrid: sage and black pepper–infused gin, a touch of Cedro lemon peel–flavored grappa, dry vermouth and a Castelvetrano olive to finish. The drink’s savory notes happen to pair especially well with the white Quattro Formaggi pie.
Four Twenty Five’s Olive Oil-Washed Martini
One of the most popular off-menu cocktails at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s sophisticated Midtown outpost Four Twenty Five is the Dirty Vodka Martini. Inspired by a version served at London's legendary Connaught Bar—where the chef has a restaurant—lead bartender Ian Williford crafted a modern twist on the classic martini by fat-washing vodka with olive oil. The technique, typically used with whiskey, softens the spirit and lends a silky, rounded texture, while the olive oil imparts depth and a subtle brininess that echoes a traditional dirty martini.
Kabawa’s Kabawa Martini
At Kabawa in the East Village, the house martini—designed by Kathryn "Pepper" Stashek—captures the restaurant’s ethos of honoring Caribbean tradition blended with a New York sensibility. Made from gin or vodka with fresh coconut water straight from the shell, it’s nutty, refreshing and layered with the spirit-forward elegance that defines the martini’s enduring appeal. The popular drink feels both approachable and special—ideal for guests discovering Caribbean flavors for the first time, or those eager to see them reimagined.
La Dong’s Chom Chom 2628
The tropical rambutan-based Chom Chom martini reflects La Dong owner and beverage director Jaruwijit Jaruthiphayakhantha’s intent to weave Vietnamese traditions into New York cocktail culture. Inspired by the hairy reddish-orange fruit, the drink highlights its sweet, juicy and floral character in a more unique interpretation of the classic lychee martini. The vodka-based cocktail features a house-made rambutan cordial, lemongrass shochu, white wine, elderflower liqueur, dry vermouth and a touch of salt. It also incorporates Asian numerology—the number 2628—symbolizing good fortune.
Le Rock’s L’Alaska
On Le Rock’s opening menu three years ago, beverage director Estelle Bossy introduced a martini with a distinctly French take on the popular New York cocktail. With Le Rock’s focus on French spirits, Chartreuse has become central to the bar program and the gin-based Alaska cocktail, unique among martini variations for its use of Chartreuse, was a natural choice. Using the classic Alaska as a base, Bossy added a mint verbena tea (inspired by the bedtime ritual of Carthusian monks) plus an aromatic spray of Chartreuse Elixir Végétal. The drink is prepared ahead of time and kept in the freezer for maximum coldness.
Le Veau d’Or’s House Martini
It’s true. Sitting in the retro-designed, scarlet red bistro Le Veau d’Or, you just want to sip a classic cocktail. And there, the martini has always been the centerpiece of its bar program—and remains the most ordered drink. Created by former bar manager Sarah Morrissey, her iteration is a nod to the dive bar martini, served with “dirty” ice in a glass with vermouth on the side for an interactive touch. Built with gin, white vermouth and finished with a bright lemon twist, the martini exemplifies Le Veau d’Or’s ethos to honor timeless classics with modern twists.
Lindens’ Tomato Caprese Martini
Tomato cocktails are having a moment. And at Arlo Soho's earthy-toned American bistro Lindens, to celebrate tomato season, over the summer head bartender Amanda Lee added a tomato take in tribute to the classic Italian salad. Her cocktail calls for vodka-infused with Boursin cheese and heirloom tomatoes, plus tomato water. It’s garnished with skewered cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.
Santi’s Martini D’Oro
In Midtown, Santi's new martini—Beluga Gold Line vodka, extra dry vermouth and a touch of oloroso sherry from Beverage Director James Lamb—arrives with a crème fraîche–stuffed fried Gordal olive crowned with Siberian caviar. It’s a nod to the Italian restaurant’s balance of simplicity, luxury and indulgence that comes through Chef Michael White’s ingredient-driven cooking.
Penny’s Penny Martini
At hit East Village seafood counter Penny, the namesake martini is both inventive and restrained. Created by Ellis Srubas-Giammanco, The MICHELIN Guide New York’s 2024 Sommelier of the Year, the complex-tasting low-ABV tipple relies on a base of barley shochu plus Italian dry vermouth that’s cut with kijoshu sake (a concentrated rice wine brewed with finished sake instead of water). Srubas-Giammanco brightens the drink with house-made celery vinegar, while a lactic acid solution adds body. Spritzed with juniper and citrus aromatics for a gin-like lift and served nearly frozen, Penny’s martini feels precision-built to pair with briny, ice-cold shellfish.
Pen Top’s Tiramisu Martini
The crown jewel of The Peninsula New York is its newly transformed 23rd-floor rooftop bar, where greenery and sweeping city views set the stage for timeless cocktails. Here, there’s an entire menu section dedicated to martini variations, with one drink on the menu since the 1990s: the Tiramisu Martini. Created by longtime bartenders Alan Kearney and Salvatore Como—fixtures at Pen Top for nearly 35 years—the drink was inspired by their post-shift ritual of sharing tiramisu. When a favorite restaurant once served the dessert in a martini glass, the idea clicked, and the cocktail was born. Today, the rich mix of vanilla-infused vodka, coffee liqueur, Amaretto Disaronno, chocolate liqueur and cream remains a signature.
Smithereens’ Seaweed Martini
It makes sense that a restaurant wed to seafood, inspired by chef-owner Nick Tamburo’s New England upbringing, would honor an ocean ingredient. Hence the signature $19 seaweed martini, on the menu since Smithereens opened last year and designed by former head bartender Logan Rodriguez. The amber-toned elixir is made with a saline-tasting gin crafted from seawater, pu-erh tea brine (a hat tip to the Boston Tea Party in place of olive brine) and acid seawater eau de vie made from sugar kelp.
Hero image: Jean-Georges Vongerichten / Four Twenty Five
Thumb image: Lindens / Lindens’ Tomato Caprese Martini
