NYC HAUTE SPOT: LE BAIN

With everyone from Purple Magazine’s Olivier Zahm posting pictures of his escapades on Purple Diary to Elle’s own Joe Zee Twittering his dinners at the downstairs Standard Grill, The Standard Hotel is a favourite haunt for the NYC fashion flock. Highly publicized for the now closed Top of the Standard (a.k.a. The Boom Boom Room), Le Bain has since taken the spotlight as the hottest nightspot in the city—with the toughest door to boot.

Off towards the side of the hotel, Le Bain has its own heavily guarded separate entrance. Upon crossing the velvet rope, one waits for a steely elevator to take them up to the 18th floor, which grants access to the interior bar that houses the now infamous pool. A walk up a flight of stairs with graffiti lined corridor then takes you up to the hotel’s roof.

The roof quite possibly grants the best view of the city and despite the hot and humid weather on the day of my visit, the air feels different up here somehow—refreshing and breezy rather than thick and sticky. The ground is lined in astroturf with pink circular waterbeds and plastic chairs flanking the space for lounging. The roof is a relaxed space with groups of people clustered and sprawled out on the faux grass. Those unable to snag a chair can be seen sitting on towels while sipping their cocktails.

Returning down the flight of stairs to the interior of Le Bain, is a livelier atmosphere with people dancing and taking a dip in the pool. There are indeed topless women wading around, while the more modest sport a bikini or keep their underpinnings on. Others, down a drink to gather enough liquid courage to perhaps test the waters themselves. Those exiting the pool usually continue to dance the night away with a terry cloth towel wrapped around them.

The crowd peaks just past 2 a.m. but your best bet to get in is to arrive early and enjoy the sunset. Grab a menu and nibble on a shrimp cocktail ($13), cheese, crackers and grapes ($12) or bite into an Italian tuna, parsley, piquillo peppers and capers baguette ($10) and wash it down with a Frise 76 cocktail ($13), which is a combination of vodka, lemon, simple syrup, strawberry and champagne, or Cherry Wizz ($13) a concoction of tequila, sour cherry, lemon and raspberry liqueur.

Le Bain, 848 Washington St., 212.645.4646, New York City, N.Y.