While the price of your average craft cocktail in NYC is quickly creeping up to the $20 to $30 range, some bars and restaurants offer specialty drinks that bring an extra level of luxury. These can include top-shelf spirits, vintage liqueurs, or opulent garnishes — and they can reach prices that are sure to make anyone browsing the menu do a double-take. And we set out to track down the most eye-popping of the bunch.
In our research, a few trends emerged in the realm of high-end cocktails. Unsurprisingly, many are Martinis — which are both timeless yet very much of the moment — and, of course, some include accompaniments like caviar and oysters. Another ingredient that popped up frequently was Cognac, with the category’s most prestigious bottlings making multiple appearances.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but meant to provide a snapshot of some of the priciest concoctions you can get around the city today. Here are nine of NYC’s most expensive cocktails.
Oiji Mi: Martini Royale with Caviar — $58
Michelin-starred Korean tasting menu spot Oiji Mi is known for its refined dishes and lengthy wine program. But at the sleek marble bar or under the towering lotus-shaped lamps in the dining room, guests can also enjoy a creative cocktail. The menu is absolutely dripping with luxury ingredients, with most drinks landing in the $19 to $25 range, but the reserve section is where things get interesting. Espresso Martini fanatics can indulge in an X(O)presso Martini made with Park XO Cognac and topped with a truffle marshmallow for $45, but the ultimate splurge on the menu is the Martini Royale, which forgoes its classic gin or vodka in favor of a combination of two sojus — Samhae soju and Damsoul pine soju — mixed with dry vermouth and served with a twist and a spoonful of caviar on the side. Diners can order the cocktail for $38 sans caviar, but what’s a Martini Royale without a decadent accompaniment?
Bemelmans Bar: Always at the Carlyle — $65
It’s no surprise one of NYC’s most expensive cocktails can be found at one of its most iconic institutions. Located in the Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side, Bemelmans is known as a place to get dressed to the nines and splurge a little bit. Guests start ringing up a tab the moment they step through the door. The cover charge varies depending on the entertainment for the night: $10 if it’s the pianist, more if it’s the jazz trio. When it comes to the cocktails, most fall in the $28 to $36 range. But for the all-out luxury experience, the $65 tequila-based Martini riff is the one to order. The Always at the Carlyle is made with Volcan de MI Tierra X.A Reposado tequila, Mancino Secco vermouth, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto liqueur, and kinome leaf (a Japanese herb that adds a citrusy, peppery flavor).
The Portrait Bar: Vieux Carré XOXO — $65
The Vieux Carré is a classic New Orleans cocktail that was invented at Hotel Monteleone’s iconic Carousel Bar in 1938.The traditional version, named after the city’s French Quarter, includes rye, Cognac, sweet vermouth, and a bar spoon each of Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. At another hotel bar about 100 years later, the cocktail takes on a much more high-brow look. The Portrait Bar at the Fifth Avenue Hotel amplifies the classic by using high-end spirits like Michter’s 10 year Rye, Jean Fillioux XO Grande Reserve Cognac, Cappellano Barolo Chinato, and Bénédictine. The flex spirits in this drink earn it the lofty price of $65.
Undercote: N.Y. State of Mind — $75
At Michelin-starred Cote, guests can enjoy magnum pours of Beaujolais and Bordeaux with their cuts of wagyu beef. But downstairs at Undercote, it’s all about the cocktails (don’t worry, guests can still gorge on steak and caviar here, too). Most of the inventive drinks are priced in the $24 range, but look further down the menu to the “reserve” section, and you’ll find a few boozy drinks featuring some top-shelf drams — the priciest of which is the N.Y. State of Mind, made with Hennessy XO Cognac, cacao-infused Dom Benedictine liqueur, and bitters, listed at $75.
Dante: Vintage Negroni — $90
Dante is undoubtedly the Negroni all-star of NYC. (It actually beat out 15 other Negronis in VinePair’s 2024 Negroni Knockout competition to definitively earn that title.) Not only is its accessible Negroni on tap a perfect representation of the classic Italian drink, but Dante also offers an entire menu of interesting Negroni riffs, from the playful Enzoni to the decadent Chocolate Negroni. For those with an interest in hunting older bottles of booze, though, the bar also offers a Vintage Negroni, made with Plymouth gin, Cinzano Rosso, and Campari, all from the 1970s. This triple threat of hard-to-find spirits makes the cocktail well worth its $90 price tag. (For those who prefer an Old Fashioned, Dante also serves a vintage riff on the classic with 1980s Jim Beam Duck Stamp bourbon and 1940s Angostura bitters for $95.)
Maison Premiere: St. Bernard — $96
Williamsburg’s idyllic New Orleans-inspired absinthe and oyster bar serves a mean Martini — one that claimed top prize in VinePair’s 2024 Martini Madness competition — but it also offers a standout tableside Sazerac service. Guests can opt for a classic expression like the St. Jefferson, made with Pinhook Rye, Herbsaint, Peychaud’s, and Creole Bitters for $25 or go all-out with the St. Bernard, listed for $96. The cocktail earns its impressive price tag with a list of luxury ingredients including the Frapin Grande Champagne Extra Cognac (which retails for about $600 a bottle), Esprit Edouard Absinthe, and barrel-aged Peychaud’s bitters. Plus you can’t put a price on the dramatic effect of a tableside absinthe rinse.
53: 53 Karat Gold — $153
A classic cocktail at Midtown’s 53 will run you about $26 to $32, which is already pretty steep. But similar to other spots on this list, 53 has an entire menu section dedicated to reserve cocktails, with prices that reach new heights. Guests can order an over-the-top take on the Paper Plane, aptly called the Platinum Plane, which includes Macallan 15 Year Scotch, Michter’s 10 Year Rye, and Amaro Nonino Riserva, for a cheeky $53. Or turn up the volume with the 53 Karat Gold cocktail made with Kyoto Ki No Bi Green Tea Gin, Grand Marnier Centennaire, Dom Pérignon, lemon, and yes, a delicate gold leaf garnish, listed for — you guessed it — $153.
The Polo Bar: The Classic Martini with Stoli Elit Pristine Water Series Vodka — $495
Ralph Lauren’s fashionable Midtown eatery is certainly a place to splurge, but even if a guest is willing to go all-out on dinner, it’s still best to be cautious when it comes to calling a spirit for any given drink here. The price of “The Classic” Martini can vary dramatically at The Polo Bar depending on the preferred gin or vodka. Fords Gin or Grey Goose Vodka are the entry-level offerings at $54, a traditional Tanqueray No. 10 Gin Martini is listed at $67, and Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut Gin will hike up the price further to $90. Things really get out of hand if someone opts to order the drink with Stoli Elit Pristine Water Series New Zealand Edition Vodka, a rare bottling that can be found on shelves for thousands of dollars. One cocktail with that rare liquid will run guests $495. Don’t worry, each Martini is served with an oyster with caviar, vermouth-scented green olives, and a house-pickled onion, so it’s all worth it.
The Bar at Baccarat Hotel: The Crystal Elite — $5,000
In keeping with the trend of ultra-luxury Cognac cocktails, we’re rounding out this list with an exorbitant offering from the bougie Bar at the Baccarat Hotel. Listed on the menu for $5,000, this drink is in a league of its own. The base spirit is Rémy Martin Louis XII Cognac, a truly opulent bottle that retails for about $4,000. The prestige spirit is accented by Bénédictine from 1920, saffron, honey, organic lemon juice, and black truffle bitters. Looking at the ingredient list, the price tag isn’t as shocking (we all know how expensive organic lemons can be these days). The experience is amplified by the showstopping presentation, as the drink is poured over gem-shaped ice in a Baccarat Crystal Czar glass. Though we’re not exactly sure how one would approach drinking from the sky-high glass.
*Image retrieved from Baccarat Hotels via Instagram
