4. Weather Up

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If not for the gleaming white subway tiles covering the façade, you might never even wonder what’s behind the door of this little place on busy Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. Venture inside, past the velvet curtain, and you’ll find yourself in a glowing little jewel box of a bar. Amazingly, the white subway tiles continue on the inside, completely covering the ceiling, just like in the Paris métro. Sasha Petraske trained the staff at Weather Up, and it shows. Behind the bar, oranges, lemons, and limes sit in wire baskets, waiting to be pressed and blended with spirits and amaros. The short but sweet cocktail menu contains ten drinks—takes on on the classics—but Weather Up’s bartenders have the full repertoire of classic cocktails in their heads.