Cozy up to the bar at one of these local watering holes, known for their toasty fireplaces, steaming hot comfort food and signature cocktails.
Darien, CT
The Goose
This neighborhood tavern has an open fireplace that is perfect for groups looking to catch up over drinks like Irish coffee (served with fresh cream). If you stay for dinner, try the beef bourguignon or homemade warm bread pudding, which is topped with caramel sea salt gelato. thegoosedarien.com
Rye, NY
Rye Bar & Grill
This Westchester favorite is known for its classic, hearty dishes, from its chicken pot pie (made with cremini mushrooms, carrots and roasted potatoes) to its steaming bowls of mussels (served with a choice of Andouille Sausage Ale, Spicy Cioppino or Garlic White Wine sauce). In the winter, the large, open dining room is warmed by the glow of three fireplaces. ryegrill.com
Greenwich, CT
Ginger Man
The traditional solid maple bar is always comfortably filled on cold winter nights with a friendly crowd. You can warm up with body heat as well as one of the bar’s many rich seasonal stouts, or take your drink to the back dining room for a bite of upscale comfort food (think: Guinness beef stew and three-cheese mac ‘n cheese) by the inviting fireplace. Try the house mulled hot cider: For an extra dose of warmth, ask them to spike it with their apple pie bourbon, which is infused in-house with fresh apples, vanilla pods and spices. gingermanct.com
White Plains, NY
The Lobby Lounge at the Ritz Carlton Westchester
You don’t have to stay at the Ritz Carlton in White Plains, NY, to enjoy their gorgeous (and cozy) Lobby Lounge, which has a fireplace as well as a hand-crafted ginger apple cider made with Wild Turkey Bourbon and a splash of Hudson Valley maple syrup. For a light but soul-warming meal, pair it with their French onion soup, which comes with toasted croutons, melted Gruyere cheese and lots of caramelized onions. ritzcarlton.com
Bedford, NY
Campagna at the Bedford Post Inn
As soon as you sit down at the intimate bar at Campagna, order the Passione Arrabiata cocktail, made with tequila, chilies, passion fruit and lime. After the spice (and yes, the fireplace) have taken the chill off, order one of chef Devin Bozkaya’s popular pasta specialties, like the Rotolo (with a fennel sausage Bolognese sauce) and Crest Nero (a seafood pasta spiced up with Calabrian chili). campagna-bedford.com
South Norwalk, CT
Cask Republic
Stop by this welcoming new SoNo hotspot for warm-your-bones comfort food meals like braised short ribs or shrimp and grits. Or, nurse a flush-inducing smoked guava chili margarita, infused with ancho chiles. caskrepublic.com
