PKNY (CLOSED)

This Lower East Side bar devoted to tiki-style drinks is a refreshing sign that a new age of mixology has arrived—one in which bitters and paper umbrellas can peacefully coexist. Painkiller takes a studied approach to tropical drinks, offering tiki archetypes (frozens, swizzles, zombie punches) tailored to your preferences. A passion-fruit–spiked piña colada arrives as a thick, fruity slush served in a hollowed-out pineapple. A classic mai tai, meanwhile, balances the acid notes of lime with the round sweetness of aged rum and the bitter edge of house-made curaçao. The one bum note: the overly restrained tiki decor. With cocktails this good, the owners could afford to crank up the camp.