Walk down the streets of New York City these days, and you’ll smell the new aroma of the city: that delicious scent of marijuana. While having full reign to smoke weed in public has caused jubilation across the city, there’s another exciting weed trend happening behind the scenes.
That trend is weed-infused restaurants NYC.
The idea is this: traditionally, you might go to dinner and pair food with wine. Why not pair it with cannabis? Heck, why not just infuse cannabis into the food itself from time to time?
Here are some of the best weed-infused restaurants NYC has to offer.
1. 99th Floor
From the brilliant mind of Chef Miguel Trinidad comes 99th Floor, arguably among the coolest weed-infused restaurants NYC has produced thus far. Over the years, he has put on dozens of dinners featuring cannabis-infused gourmet food.
Meals at 99th Floor are served with the finest possible flair, featuring anywhere between five and ten courses. Past meals have included duck tamale with cannabis-infused mole sauce and lard.
99th Floor started in 2015 by hosting dinner events in secret locations, which were only revealed on the day-of.
Their very first dinner took place in the basement of an NYC warehouse, which guests had to access by freight elevator after passing by a motorcycle gang’s hangout. The guest list included journalists, brain surgeons, and other eclectic enthusiasts.
But since then, 99th Floor has grown into a professionally run outfit with a successful mailing list that requires a recommendation for entry. You can expect a classy but pricey dining experience — the point isn’t to get stoned but rather to enjoy cannabis as part of food in small doses over the course of a few hours.
2. HighGarden
This Tribeca cannabis lounge also incorporates cannabis into its culinary artistry. Their signature move is to include vape pens filled with cannabis for each patron, which they can sip like a glass of wine.
The choice of cannabis is not arbitrary, though. HighGarden pairs cannabis with the meal of the night, paying special attention to the terpene profile of the strain (terpenes give weed its flavor). Different weed strains will be selected to complement different courses.
Cannabis-infused cooking is a big part of it, too — past meals have included CBD-infused shrimp salt and prickly-pear gel infused with THC. These result in a pleasant after-effect, though ironically, it might also lead to post-dinner munchies.
3. Cannabis Fine-Dining
Convening at secret locations in Tribeca, SoHo, and Boerum Hill, Cannabis Fine-Dining is yet another exclusive cannabis-infused dining experience.
Though their meals range between $350 and $500, you get your money’s worth: an eight-course meal with thoughtful cannabis infusions, premium beverage pairings, sparkling water from Germany, and all gratuities included.
Guests find out the location of the dinner at 1 p.m. on the day of the event. Furthermore, a secret, high-profile guest chef prepares the meals.
Attending a restaurant experience like this is unique. You get to be part of an underground movement that’s still in its infancy due to New York’s young marijuana laws, catered to by some of the most visionary chefs on the planet, all while enjoying it in the company of others seeking the same thrill.
4. Cafe Cannal
Located at the intersection of Chinatown, Tribeca, and SoHo, Cafe Cannal is among the first weed-infused restaurants NYC produced. They’re a bit of an outlier on this list because they’re not strictly a restaurant (more of a coffee shop/bakery), and they’re fully above board.
With a broad assortment of coffee and CBD-infused pastries, Cafe Cannal is a super pleasant place to spend an afternoon while trying delicious products. Woman-owned and sporting excellent vibes, it also has a patio where guests can smoke their own weed.
They have both a dine-in and a takeout menu and serve lunch seven days a week. You can stop in for fresh-baked pastries or an espresso with Afficionado Coffee. Or, if you’re feeling like hosting a weed-tinged event, you can even rent the private outdoor space for your guests.
Honorable Mention: Stoned Pizza
What would a list of weed-infused restaurants NYC be without a pizza joint?
Stoned Pizza infuses cannabis right into their pies and side dishes, and they’re also an edible and smoke lounge that sells and delivers cannabis products like CBD gummies. If you’re feeling like a more informal dining experience, stop on in.
[…] Options for amazing cannabis-infused dining experiences range from what many consider to be the ‘coolest’ weed-infused fine dining restaurant in the city, 99th Floor, to HighGarden—a cannabis lounge where they include vape pens filled with cannabis for each guest, which you can enjoy similar to a glass of wine with your meal. […]