This cocktail bar with an Antarctic expedition theme, is now open on the second floor of Freemans restaurant in the Lower East Side.

Banzarbar – named after a series of Antarctic expeditions— may well be one of NYC's most coveted perches, with only 18 seats and operating just three nights a week. Eryn Reece, formerly head bartender of Death & Co, has created the cocktail with names that nod to nautical exploration and ingredients that evoke the spice trade. Try the Deception Island or Son of Neptune, which contain aquavit. U can order them a la carte or go for a $95 tasting menu that, over the course of two hours, pairs lower-alcohol cocktails with bites like scallop crudo and cured mackerel. A la carte snacks include pork belly, oysters and A5 wagyu curtsey of chef Harold Villarosa.

This second-floor cocktail bar promises to be a hidden hotspot.

Ideal For

Secret cocktails

Signature Dishes

Cocktails are paired with small plates, including oysters with chili mignonette and pickled apple, cured Spanish mackerel with squash, and chocolate bonbons from Patisserie Chanson.

Signature Drinks

Deception Island with gin, aquavit, verjus, olive leaf and thyme; Sons of Neptune with rum, aquavit, banana, sesame and Angelica root; and the Albatross with Scotch, Irish whisky, Oloroso sherry, black cherry and hazelnut.