NYC Rooftop: Ampia
- Hannah O'Brien
- Aug 11, 2020
- 4 min read
After pestering my boyfriend for over a month about this NYC rooftop restaurant Ampia, this past Saturday we finally went... and let me tell you, it was sooooo much fun.
I honestly could write a whole post raving about Ampia's Midnight Martini but instead, I'll walk you through our experience in case you ever want to go yourself.
First, I just want to let you know that my boyfriend Kevin lives in FiDi... and that the restaurant is also in FiDi. But as many women may know, all men, of course, know how to get everywhere without GPS or directions. So, essentially at 8pm we walked our way almost completely to Seaport to then realize the restaurant was in fact only a couple blocks away from his apartment.
On our walk back, we also passed Stone Street- Ampia for reference was only a couple blocks away, if you know the area. If you have not yet went to Stone Street, you’ll need to go. It’s a great time so I'm sure I'll write something on the area by the end of the summer.
Anyway, back to talking about the rooftop restaurant, I just want to say that this place was 100% precautious about Covid restrictions and safety measures. As soon as we walked into the lobby, everyone had their masks on CORRECTLY, we were given hand sanitizer and had our temperature taken via a face scanner. I’m assuming if anything was wrong, they’d ask you to leave but everyone we saw entering had a safe temperature.
After waiting for an elevator and making it out onto the 3rd floor, the atmosphere lifted us up immediately. Music blasting, candles lit, and a trendy beach-vibe running throughout the rooftop, it was a nice escape from your typical New York restaurant.
Me and Kev chose to sit at a high-top table - we were given the option to wait 40 minutes for a dining table but we were fine with the bar setting. I would suggest making reservations if you ever choose to go; if you call a week in advance, you can even reserve a “greenhouse”, which essentially is a mini-house where your party could sit safely inside. It’s super cute!
Everyone around us looked like they were having a blast, too. I mean who wouldn't be when they're having drinks on a rooftop, but what I'm trying to say is that Ampia has an overall really great atmosphere.
For the rest of this post, I’m not going to go in depth with how we wined and dined but I’m creating a list of what we ordered and the general ambiance of Ampia for some insight and suggestions if you ever choose to go!
Atmosphere:
Beach-vibes but not corny or overdone
I'd say everyone I saw dressed somewhat nicer than just casual attire- I'm comparing this to what someone might wear to Stone Street, but you don't need to go overboard...unless you want to. Then of course, by all means, why not look fabulous? No one's stopping you :)
I would recommend going later in the day or at a happy hour but that's just me
You can literally sit in a clear mini-house. So basic, so fun.
Ampia has lounge seating so it's great to visit with a couple of friends
The have a covered bar. It gives off a little bit of tiki-vibes. I'd go just for drinks to sit under it, even if it were raining.
Cocktails:
Midnight Martini- Attention to all basic girls out there: this is their espresso martini. It was amazing. It also had a touch of cinnamon in it which I was a huge fan of.
Old Fashioned- Kev ended up getting both their house and original old fashioned. He liked both. He just said the house was just a little more sweeter than the classic.
Food:
Seafood Salad- I think we ordered the wrong thing but it was the best mistake we could have made. Lobster, calamari, avocado. Amazing.
Meatballs- Kev loves meatballs and always ends up ordering them wherever we go as an appetizer. I'm not a big meat lover (I tried going vegetarian once but that was a complete fail) but how could I not of tried one when the scent of garlic was smacking me in the face? The sauce the meatballs were in was fantastic.
Gnocchi- I'm not positive on the name of this dish but it had a truffle sauce. That is all you need to know. Ask for the truffle gnocchi.
Chicken- Kev ordered some version of chicken parm. The chicken cutlet was perfect.
FYI, the menu is contactless. You scan the barcode on your phone and look at the menu on your browser. You're still served as if you were dining pre-covid.
Overall, I had a great time at NYC's Ampia Rooftop & Restaurant (and of course with Kev). I'd definitely go back, even if it were for just drinks and some guacamole. The atmosphere was hip and fun, and I felt normalcy even with the virus-safety precautions.
Quarantine or not, everyone loves a good rooftop.
xoxo,
han
P.S.- Drink every time you read the word: vibe. :)
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