Off the MRKT Favorites: Where to Eat, Sip, and Stay This May in New York
May in New York is when the city shifts from cozy to celebratory. Rooftops reopen, harbor events return, and luxury hospitality steps confidently into summer mode. This month’s Off the MRKT Favorites captures that transition — blending sustainability on the water, high-design rooftops, ultra-luxe sports packages, cultural festivals, and meaningful Pride partnerships. Whether you’re planning a match-day splurge, a harbor-side toast, or a skyline cocktail at golden hour, May is about movement, energy, and gathering outdoors again.
Champagne Telmont, the Official Champagne of the 2025 Season Champion Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, is bringing its sustainability-first mission to New York Harbor for the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix on May 30–31, 2026. As part of race weekend, Telmont has announced a new partnership as the Official Champagne of Billion Oyster Project, the nonprofit dedicated to restoring oyster reefs in New York Harbor and advancing ocean stewardship education. Through local fundraising, programming, and on-site presence, Telmont will align its “In the Name of Mother Nature” philosophy with the goal of restoring one billion oysters by 2030, reinforcing its commitment to producing exceptional champagne while prioritizing environmental responsibility.
The Look Up Rooftop at The Kixby Hotel has reopened for the 2026 summer season with a refreshed design and updated food and beverage program, working alongside Richie Romero’s hospitality incubator NexHos to better align the rooftop with Black Tap’s Midtown location below. The cocktail menu now features elevated takes on classics, including Black Tap favorites like the Sex and the City, The Boss, and Glamour & Vice, alongside frozen drinks, zero-proof options, local beers, wine, and bubbly.
The food menu leans into shareable comfort hits such as the Big Mac Quesadilla, Chile Shrimp Roll, NY Pretzel with spicy mustard, Street Corn Nachos, Truffle Grilled Cheese, and Hamptons Lobster Roll, with a Tender Crush Ice Cream cart offering tableside sweets. The Rockwell Group–designed indoor-outdoor rooftop spans 2,200 square feet with a central bar and Empire State Building views, and will feature a screen for World Cup viewing throughout the tournament. The venue is open evenings weather permitting and available for private events through September.
Ilegal Mezcal has partnered with the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) for its sixth annual Celebrating YOU campaign, running May through July 2026. The initiative supports grassroots LGBTQ+ organizations through funding, education, and advocacy, and since its launch in 2021 has grown to nearly 300 bar and restaurant partners across 25 cities, raising more than $170,000 through its on-premise cocktail program. This year’s expansion includes funding Safe Spaces Certification for participating venues, a SIGBI-led program focused on creating more inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ guests and staff. The campaign kicks off with a public event at The Stonewall Inn on May 21 featuring DJs, cocktails, flash tattoos, karaoke, and drag performances, followed by additional fundraisers in Brooklyn throughout June and July
Gansevoort Meatpacking has introduced a $30,000 ultra-luxury Match Day Package centered around the England vs. Panama international soccer fixture on June 27, 2026 at MetLife Stadium. The two-night experience (June 26–28, 2026) includes a stay in the hotel’s Duplex Penthouse, premium match tickets, and private round-trip helicopter transfers between NYC and the stadium. Guests are treated to a champagne send-off, Dom Pérignon and Petrossian caviar on arrival, curated in-room amenities inspired by the competing teams, and pre-match styling and grooming services.
The package also includes members-style access to Seven24 Collective, rooftop and pool access post-match, daily breakfast, an in-room prediction experience, a custom “Gansevoort Stadium” turf installation for photo moments, and a next-day wellness treatment with Maison Sisley. Designed as a fully immersive soccer-meets-luxury escape, the limited offering blends hospitality, spectacle, and high-end indulgence for one of the summer’s most anticipated sporting events.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America returns to Midtown on May 28, launching its most expansive season yet with 24 free performances spanning music, dance, opera, circus, and more. In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the series will feature a special July 3 Independence Day concert with Carnegie Hall, alongside appearances from Grammy-winning artists, Broadway talent, and cultural institutions including New York City Opera, Jazzmobile, and World Music Institute. Select performances will also be livestreamed, continuing the festival’s mission to make world-class performing arts accessible to all New Yorkers throughout the summer
If April is anticipation, May is execution. The terraces are open, the events calendar is stacked, and the city feels alive in a way only late spring can deliver. From Midtown rooftops to New York Harbor to Bryant Park’s lawn, this month proves that New York doesn’t ease into summer — it makes an entrance. And these are the reservations, celebrations, and experiences setting the tone.
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