This summer downtrodden New Yorkers sealed up their pockets, turned on their fans and stayed home. The damn recession put a pall on the patio season and it pretty much passed by as if it never came. Now, the economy is looking up and the weather…well…that's looking down. Cold fronts are coming in and the only forecast heat is residual steam from our burning pockets. In other words, now that we have money again, it seems a shame that we have nowhere to spend it.

Fortunately there are people out there who are more industrious than us. Case in point: Ravi Patel, the owner of Ravel Hotel and now the proud impresario of Penthouse 808. Adding a beautiful glass enclosure to his idyllic rooftop overlooking Manhattan, Patel has singlehandedly returned to New York that which the faltering economy so cruelly took away: the patio season.

Penthouse 808 might not have the South Beach sun but it certainly has its style. Adopting a luxuriant art deco aesthetic, the glass room makes you feel as luxuriant as if you were partying inside Cinderella's lost slipper. Featuring plush, ultra suede banquettes, multiple fireplaces and art nouveau inspired chandeliers, the sexy spot screams bottle service. With that said, $275 for a bottle of Beefeater, might have your inner-wife screaming "are you F#$%%^ing crazy?"

Practical minded individuals might bypass the bottle service and simply go for a glass of wine and some Pan-Asian comfort food from Executive Chef Joe Franek. Bask in the Manhattan skyline (not the sun) while enjoying the fresh flavours that remind you of summer like the sesame-ginger churrasco steak served with cilantro pesto. Or, you might not be a winter-denier in which case the gastro-warming roasted acorn squash stuffed with Japanese eggplant and Thai red coconut curry is a lovely option.

Thanks to Penthouse808 summer is always but an elevator ride away. – E.H