The Hi-Life at a Low Price

Last night, I met Kristin for dinner and drinks at an Upper East Side staple about which I had heard promising reviews but had yet to experience for myself. Running a bit late, I walked into Hi-Life, on 2nd Avenue at 78th Street, and found Kristin seated at the dark mahogany bar, surrounded by art deco lamps, vintage mirrors, and several patrons who looked just as pleased with their drinks as she did. Slightly swanky, slightly divey, the bar area had a comfortable yet classy feel, making it a throwback to the 1930s-era lounges that had inspired the décor.

After exchanging hellos, Kristin and I made our way over to the hostess, who led us to a table right next to the open floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on a bustling 2nd Avenue. We situated ourselves and then picked up our menus, which were jam packed with martinis, hi balls, champagne cocktails, tropical cocktails—we were overwhelmed before we had even moved past the drinks page. There was an orange blossom martini, a whiskey smash, a champagne julep, a passionfruit caipirinha, a fruitsickle-tini, and a long list of wine and beer as well. Kristin already had a drink from her wait at the bar, but I did not—and I had no idea what to order.

“Do you have any drink specials tonight?” I asked our waitress in the hope of narrowing down the selection.

“Cosmos are five dollars until seven o’clock—you still have a few minutes,” she replied.

“Perfect. I’ll take a cosmo,” I ordered, still eyeing the candy-store-like list of cocktails with dismay.

Drinks in hand, we moved to our next task: tackling the food menu, which was even more extensive than the drink list. Classic American-style fare such as pork chops and applesauce, penne with grilled chicken, a New York shell steak, a variety of burgers, and a thin-crust pizza, was featured next to more exotic Asian dishes like Thai green curry, pad Thai, and an Oriental stir fry. To mix things up even more, there were also seafood dishes like blackened swordfish and yellowfin tuna, Maryland crab cakes and California king salmon, plus a lounge menu featuring such chic items as Geisha ladyfingers, spicy tuna sno-cones, crab cake lollipops, and Moroccan lamb kebabs.

Oh, and there was also a full sushi and sashimi bar. We had no idea where to begin.

Lucky for us, however, Hi-Life’s nightly specials menu helped us to at least choose a cuisine type, as all sushi was half-off. And so sushi we ordered.

Selecting the rolls we wanted to share was a piece of cake after having attempted to narrow down the massive menu. Within minutes, we chose a shrimp tempura and avocado roll, a Philadelphia roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese, and avocado), a Jamaica roll (tuna, avocado, and mango), and the eponymous Hi-Life roll (shrimp, crab, and avocado). Each one was delicious and, best of all, each was under $4.

With a tiny bit of room left after our half-price sushi feast, we peeked at the dessert menu and couldn’t help but order a raspberry truffle—vanilla gelato and raspberry sorbet encased in a dark chocolate shell. It was heavenly.

After such an amazing meal, we certainly did feel as though we were living the high life—until our bill arrived. At only $62 for several drinks, an assortment of sushi, and an ample dessert, we discovered that the Hi-Life did not come at a high price.

Hi-Life’s nightly specials are as follows:

Monday and Tuesday: all sushi and sashimi is 50% off, plus $4.50 Kirin pints and $10.95 Bud Light pitchers.

Wednesday and Sunday: all Big Bowl pastas are $11.95, any bottle of wine is $5 off, and all champagne cocktails are $5 for ladies.

Thursday and Saturday: popcorn shrimp or fried chicken is $14.95, domestic drafts are $4.50, and the martini of the day is $5.

Friday: the prime rib dinner is $18.95, and all frozen shots served tableside are three for the price of two.

And happy hour is every day from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m., featuring $4 draft pints and $5 cosmos.

So go and enjoy the Hi-Life!