This brazen tavern couldn’t have found a more fitting icon than 16th-century pirate queen Grace O’Malley, a bonny lass with a propensity for swilling hooch and seizing her exes’ castles. Honoring the riot-grrrl spunk of the seafaring heroine, the bar’s focused drink syllabus was concocted by a formidable crew of cocktail-slinging dames, including Eryn Reece (Death & Company), Ivy Mix (Clover Club) and Franky Marshall (the Dead Rabbit).
DRINK THIS: A heavy-hitting cocktail with a historical bent. Each potent quaff ($12) draws inspiration from the swashbuckling siren: The White Seahorse, a frothy blend of gin, plum brandy and egg white created by Jane Danger (Cienfuegos, PDT), takes its moniker from the symbol of the O’Malley clan, while Marshall’s bittersweet Belclare—named after the family stronghold—mixes cognac with grapefruit liqueur, absinthe and crème de cacao.
GOOD FOR: Posh relief from fratboy-filled midtown bars. All the familiar trappings of an Irish tavern are here—the solid fish-and-chips, the full-blooded Celtic pride—but the top-of-the-food-chain bar talent gives the sleek, dark-wood saloon a cocktail-den vibe.
THE CLINCHER: In ancient Ireland, hospitality was mandated by Brehon law—a Gaelic household would be fined if it did not treat guests well. The waitstaff does its cordial ancestors proud. Tipplers are welcomed at the door with a handshake from the hostess, a spot-on custom bridging Kips Bay and Clew Bay, the sea the whiskey-slugging heroine once dominated.