I’d like a date somewhere good.

Your Plan — New York City

Jul 23, 2026.Thursday, July 23, 2026.

In this issue: guides, reviews & the latest plans ↓

The Index — Guides

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Citywide
Dates Without a Drink
12 places
At some point "let's grab a drink" stops being a plan and starts being a reflex. Maybe one of you doesn't drink, maybe it's Dry July, maybe you just want to remember the date in the morning. These twelve places give you somewhere to sit, something to do, and no bar tab — a sober bar, tea rooms, board games, bookstores, and ice cream. Good for a first date, a fourth date, or a Tuesday when you'd rather not.
Citywide
Dates for a Heat Wave
6 places · Jul 2026
Some dates are ruined by weather and some are rescued by it. In July the whole city is outside, sweating through a rooftop reservation, pretending the view is worth it. These six rooms are cold, dark, and worth the trip — an oyster bar, a cinema, a library, a bathhouse, a marble house on Fifth, and a tiki bar with no windows. Good for a second date, an anniversary, or a Thursday when it is 96 degrees and you would like to be somewhere else.
Citywide
Order the Weird One
5 places · Jun 2026
Every cocktail list has one drink that sounds like a dare — mushrooms in the margarita, tomatoes where the gin should be. At most bars you order around it. At these five you order it, because the weird one is the best thing on the menu, and the hardware backs you up: North America's No. 1 bar, its No. 2, and Time Out's pick for best in the city are all on this list. The dare does half the work of the date.