New York has no shortage of cocktail bars. It does, however, have considerably fewer places where you can sip a meticulously crafted martini while surrounded by monumental artwork, walnut paneling and the creative fingerprints of one of the city’s most celebrated chefs.
Enter Clemente Bar NYC.
Tucked upstairs at 11 Madison Avenue, Clemente Bar is the collaboration between chef Daniel Humm and artist Francesco Clemente. The intimate space combines cocktails, food and art in a setting that feels less like a traditional bar and more like an extremely stylish artist’s salon.
The artwork is not exactly background decoration, either. Francesco Clemente’s work includes dramatic 17-foot murals and other custom pieces throughout the space, while the design incorporates vintage furniture and sculptural lighting. Basically, even the walls are dressed better than most New Yorkers.
Then there are the cocktails.
The beverage program leans into unexpected ingredients and familiar drinks with decidedly unfamiliar personalities. The Clemente Martini, for example, combines green curry-infused elements, malted gin and Indian-inspired spices, while other creations play with clarified cocktails and nostalgic flavors.
And Clemente Bar isn’t just about drinking. The Lounge offers an à la carte menu of cocktails and refined bar snacks, while The Studio is a nine-seat chef’s counter currently hosting sushi master Eiji Ichimura, who is serving a multi-course omakase experience through the end of 2026.
The Lounge is open daily from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., with reservations released on a rolling three-week basis and walk-ins encouraged when space permits.
So if you’re searching for Clemente Bar NYC, cocktail bars in NYC, Flatiron bars or unique NYC date-night spots, this one deserves attention.
It’s cocktails.
It’s art.
It’s Eleven Madison Park energy.
And thankfully, nobody expects you to understand the painting before ordering the martini.
