La Otra

La Otra is a tapas-cocktail fusion bar for the adventurous. Established by the the same folks who brought you the best cocktail bars in the city — Imperial Craft Cocktail Bar, 223 and Bellboy — La Otra comes with the same quality food and drinks, but with a Mexican-Caribbean twist. While you can still get classic cocktails if you ask, the stars of the cocktail menu here are mezcal, tequila and rum.

If you like to keep it simple, try the homemade sangrita with a sidecar of mezcal or tequila, but we’d encourage you not to be shy since La Otra has a bevy of original creations that are right on point: the Kalingo Old Fashioned, with 4 types of rum, tiki bitters and pineapple, and Tommy’s Smoky Margarita, with the house mezcal, El Jimador blanco tequila, lime and agave, certainly come to mind.

Don’t sleep on the food either, as it’s at least as creative and delicious as the cocktails. If you’re up for something way off the reservation, try the Chicken Mole — chicken breast on a bed of spicy chocolate with corn and cilantro. For something a little more familiar, go with one of the taco choices — calamari, chorizo and queso; duck with guacamole; or pulled pork with salsa verde. There’s also guacamole with plantain chips and, for the Caribbean-lovers, jerk beef with plantains and bell pepper puree.

Don’t miss 50%-off happy hour from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Photo: Ben Yoster/La Otra