The McKittrick Hotel is welcoming back The Lodge, a wintertime conversion of rooftop bar Gallow Green into a veritable cabin in the woods. Since this is the McKittrick Hotel of Sleep No More fame we’re talking about, expect nothing less than an all-out theatrical experience. This is a cabin that will take you, mind and body, out of New York City and straight to the wintry, Scottish woodlands.
There are upwards of 50 Christmas trees surrounding the wooden cabin, with forest paths to explore. The cabin itself is expansive. The main room, whose doors are weighed down by tin cans, has two bunk beds (replete with hot water bottle and Scottish blankets galore), a fireplace, two sitting areas, a long wooden communal kitchen table, a small kitchen and the bar. Like Sleep No More, every single detail is thought through–including the layer of dust on top of the mantle. It’s almost like The McKittrick waited deliberately until the dust was just right before announcing The Lodge to the public.
There’s a small bedroom also, with the bed surrounded to the ceiling on three sides by old books. A desk in the foyer is covered with books on plants and collected specimens. Letters and sheet music are tacked on to the wall, a cabin window looks out onto the incongruous New York City skyline. An outdoor patio area has a real fire burning, which doubles as a smoking area. Then through the wooded paths you’ll find a tent filled (and we mean filled) with sheepskins. There’s also a boat that’s filled with sheepskins.
The Lodge is sprayed with scents of pine and other woodland smells before opening each day. Heat emanates from space heaters under the bunk beds and hidden inside nightstands. Maps of Scotland line the walls of the main room, a handwritten sign about avalanche conditions, along with a fox in all its furry glory, tail and all.
On the menu are “Ma’s Mulled Wine,” “Cinnamon Cinder,” and a small selection of beers and wine.
We were loathe to leave, wishing we could just move in. The Lodge is open Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm on, and reservations are taken up to 4 weeks in advance by emailing [email protected]
Check out 11 more of NYC’s Hidden Bars along with 10 off-the-beaten path rooftop bars in NYC.
