Currently enjoying its status as one of the city’s It spots, 1 OAK caters to a high-end clientele, so it should come as no surprise that its doors are one of the toughest to saunter through. Though you’ll likely have to know someone to get in, take your shot by coming early and chatting up the door staff, who usually veer on the friendly side (shocking, we know!). Once inside, you’ll see what all the hype is about as you rub elbows with anyone from Russell Simmons to Janice Dickinson in a space that, unlike many of its peers, rarely gets unbearably crowded. Padded ostrich leather walls are decked out with Darwin’s Origin of Species, and the bar serves (what else) $18 cocktails, but a minimal number of bottle tables means there’s plenty of room to dance. Weekends are less exclusive, considering the regular crowd jet-sets to places like Lily Pond in the Hamptons. Open Tue.-Sat. 10pm-4am.

1oaknyc.com