The Ides Bar (at the Wythe Hotel)

For a fine explanation of Williamsburg’s hot-spot reputation for locals and in-the-know travelers alike, look no further than the Ides, the sixth-floor drinkery atop the Wythe Hotel. Enjoy finely wrought cocktails—made with locally distilled fixings, of course—in a red banquette or step onto the outdoor terrace, which affords sweeping views of Manhattan that will make you understand why you left the island in the first place.