Ampersand is at 294 3rd Avenue in Gramercy, and it occupies the particular niche of a bar that's genuinely good at cocktails without making the room feel like a lecture. The space is warm and intimate with no televisions, which in that neighborhood is a more meaningful curatorial decision than it sounds.

The cocktail list has a Mexican and Southwest lean, with an Oaxaca Old Fashioned and a Poblano Sour sitting comfortably alongside more standard builds. The food covers New American with a Spanish and Mexican inflection, including tacos, shishito peppers, and cheese plates that hold up as actual meals rather than just bar snacks. The Ampersand Old Fashioned is the house specialty and worth ordering at least once.

Gramercy has enough decent drinking options that Ampersand has had to earn its spot. It has, consistently, since opening.