Searching for a new happy hour spot or a place to grab a drink on a first date? Rockefeller Center is full of places to linger over well-crafted cocktails or impeccable cappuccinos, catch up with friends, and watch the world go by. Whether you’re in the mood for a caffeinated pick-me-up, soda you can customize, or something a bit boozier, we’ve got you covered. Toast to fun times with good company at five of the best NYC drink spots.

Explore all of Rockefeller Center’s dining and drinking options.

Two hands clinking glasses at The Weather Room at Top of the Rock

For brews with views: The Weather Room

Picture it: Every quintessential landmark, building, and park is spread out before you, like a panoramic postcard-perfect vision, as you relax 67 floors in the air, beverage in hand. To enjoy this iconic vista for yourself, pay a visit to The Weather Room, a cafe and cocktail bar located at Top of the Rock, with a well-curated drink menu and casual yet elevated eats. Grab a seat in the indoor lounge or open-air outdoor patio, and sip in the sights with a cold brew or an espresso drink to start the day above the fray. Wind down at golden hour with a Sunset Spritz or another cocktail (or beer, cider, wine, or Champagne) and toast the night and the city lights. When the weather permits, you can also snag a table on either of the two open-air terraces—it’s the best seat in the house.

Drinks to try: The true “if you know, you know” combo to order, Dave Peterson, president of The Weather Room, tells The Center Magazine, is a Martini “Sixty-Seven” with a New York-style, all-beef hot dog served on a Martin’s Potato Roll bun.

The Weather Room (Top of the Rock, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112) is open daily, 8am to midnight.

Trio of martinis from Smith & Mills at Rockefeller Center

For classic cocktails, reimagined: Smith & Mills

When you step inside Smith & Mills’ Rockefeller Center location, with its glowing candlelight, dark walls, and old-school, speakeasy charm, the outside world melts away. Its cozy ambiance and central location on Rink Level make the restaurant-bar an ideal gathering place, whether it’s for lunch and libations, happy hour with oysters after work, or a romantic dinner date. The drinks menu includes classic cocktails with a Smith & Mills spin, aperitif cocktails, beers and ciders, and wines and champagnes (available by the glass and bottle).

Drinks to try: Grub Street named the inventive trio of “mini-tinis” among New York City’s best new martinis. This flight includes each of the martinis on Smith & Mills’ menu: the Vesper Del Mar (gin, vodka, sherry, white vermouth, and a kombu-pickled onion), Mezu-Mezu (gin, quinquina blanc, Spanish olive), and A Smokeshow (mezcal, sotol, génépy, lime-leaf aperitif, grapefruit bitters, Calabrian chili). For a zero-proof cocktail, the tropical Pineapple Grove serves up vacation vibes in coupe glass form.

Smith & Mills Rockefeller Center (30 Rockefeller Plaza, Rink Level) is open for lunch (Tuesday through Friday, 11:30am to 3pm), happy hour (Tuesday through Friday, 2pm to 5pm), and dinner (Monday through Saturday, 4pm to 11pm).

Assortment of five customized drinks from Cool Sips at Rockefeller Center

For grab and go: Cool Sips

If you find yourself with a very specific drink craving — lemonade with a dash of blue raspberry and boba? green tea and Gatorade with mango? Pepsi, caramel, and vanilla cream? — the fountain soda shop Cool Sips can make it happen. Its Willy Wonka-esque rainbow of refreshing, jewel-toned concoctions are even endorsed by the Mayor of Rockefeller Center himself. Paying tribute to surfer culture with beverages named after seaside towns with surfing spots, Cool Sips invites you to drink in that sunscreen-scented, ride-the-waves summertime feeling all year round.

Drinks to try: Pick from a curated list of eight “Signature Sips,” or create your own blend. You can choose from a menu of drinks (tea, cold-brew coffee, lemonade, soda, energy drink, or sports drink), syrups, creams, and add-ins (boba or jellies), for hundreds of custom combination possibilities. Don’t forget to keep an eye on their Instagram to see if they have any fun new pop culture collaborations; they’ve previously created drinks in honor of And Just Like That and The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Cool Sips (30 Rockefeller Plaza) is open Sunday through Wednesday, 11am to 7pm, and Thursday through Sunday, 10am to 8pm.

Freshly brewed espresso from % Arabica at Rockefeller Center

For a pick-me-up: % Arabica

Global coffee company % Arabica opened in Rockefeller Center in January 2024, and it’s been a hit with caffeine lovers of all kinds. With a Kyoto flagship and nearly 200 gorgeously designed locations around the world, the brand is on a mission to help you “see the world through coffee.” The radiant, golden walls and the glowing bar that seems to levitate create a memorable aesthetic, setting the scene for the shop’s incredibly high-quality coffee. The company sources beans from some of the world’s finest coffee farms, which they roast to perfection and serve blended or as single-origin brews.

Drinks to try: Order an espresso drink to taste the bestselling % Arabica Blend, a proprietary blend that’s used for espresso in every % Arabica store. Made with coffee beans from Central America, South America, and Africa, this coffee has a complex, chocolatey flavor with notes of caramel, nuts, and wine — making it a particularly good choice for a latte. Pair your beverage with another % Arabica exclusive: sweet and savory baked goods made by Raf’s, a downtown, European-style bakery.

% Arabica (30 Rockefeller Plaza) is open daily from 8am to 6pm.

Pint of beer from Other Half Brewing at Rockefeller Center

For taproom hangouts: Other Half Brewery

Known for bold, boundary-pushing craft beers, Other Half Brewery has developed an avid community of fans since opening a decade ago in Brooklyn. While grabbing an after-work happy hour drink in the Rockefeller Center taproom, you’ll find a distinctive beer to please your palate — available on draft (in a pint or a 4-oz. glass) and in flights, bottles, and to-go cans. Take your pick from an eclectic list of hazy IPAs, dessert stouts, wild-fermented ales, lagers, and fruity sours. Then, kick back and take in the layered and transporting flavors.

Drinks to try: A New England-style IPA that pays tribute to the local skyline, Top of the Broc packs notes of tropical candies, peach rings, grapefruit, and mango — perfect for drinking at the base of its namesake building. Or, channel the nostalgic summertime sweetness of soft-serve ice cream with one of four brand-new Mister Softee-inspired beers.

Other Half at Rockefeller Center (600 Fifth Avenue) is open Sunday and Monday, 12pm to 8pm, and Tuesday through Saturday, 12pm to 10pm.

To find your new favorite hangout spot, explore all of Rockefeller Center’s restaurants, cafés, and bars.