Review: Mr. Purple

What were your first impressions?
An easy-on-the-eyes crowd with jaw-dropping 360-degree views of Manhattan. Even the industrial chic touches like the glass-encased hanging light bulbs, tree trunk tables, and symmetric design details look like they were created as the perfect setting for social media shots.

So who’s there?
The crowd is young and hot. It's a mix of locals and visitors who didn't arrive early enough (and are willing to wait in the long line to enter). Everyone is boomeranging cocktail clinks, posing for selfies, or shuffling through Bumble. The drinks are great but nobody seems to be focused on the mixology—they're more focused on giving their besties FOMO.

How are the drinks?
The wine menu and beer menu are good but nothing extraordinary. It's the house-bottled and specialty cocktails that shine. We love the "bottled sparkling Negroni" (Bombay sapphire gin, campari, dolin rouge, and vermouth), carbonated and bottled in-house. The specialty cocktails are changed seasonally and in summer expect the likes of ultra-refreshing (easy to down) drinks like the "Toucan Sam" (nolets gin, campari, strawberry, pineapple, and lime).

Worth ordering something to eat, too?
There's an All Day menu as well as a special brunch menu on weekends. The All Day menu is substantial bar food, perfect for soaking up the alcohol. We loved the buttermilk fried chicken sliders and the salt and pepper fries (with aioli, of course).

Did the staff do you right?
The bar staff was working hard—the place is packed. They are doing their best given the pace. They're super knowledgeable about the menu and surprisingly happy to go into details about their faves.

Wrap it up: what are we coming here for?
Go to hang with the 'in' crowd and enjoy incredible views of the City. It's not a place for a date but a place to score your next one. Go with a large group or plan to meet a bunch of friends here. It's not a one-on-one kind of place.