Sweet Liberty

About Sweet Liberty

A pink neon sign reading Pursue Happiness glows over the back wall, and the rest of the room runs to exposed ductwork, a disco ball, red leather banquettes and a long bar backed by lit shelves of bottles. Bartender John Lermayer opened it with partners including chef Michelle Bernstein, and it twice made the World's 50 Best Bars list before the pandemic. Happy hour runs from four to eight, the doors stay open until four in the morning every night, and there is a Sunday brunch. Plates are bar food done carefully: oysters with caviar, a fried chicken sandwich, loaded nachos and chips with caviar dip. Google averages 4.6 from about 2,750 reviews, many naming bartenders who keep an eye on guests as the night gets rowdy. The music runs loud enough that one September visitor found conversation hard, so it suits a group more than a quiet catch-up.