G LOUNGE

G (what New Yorkers call it) was arguably the city’s first swanky gay lounge when it opened in 1987 and, like its clients, showing remarkably few visible signs of ageing. The comfy, steel and oak wood space has plenty of room for sitting, chatting and staring.

Drinks are served quickly from a circular bar by a hard-working staff of sexy, shirtless bartenders. The crowd is good-looking in a business casual-clone sort of way, and, somewhat surprisingly, generally friendly.