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Dear Irving

  • Bars
  • Gramercy
  • price 2 of 4
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
  1. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Whiskey Business at Dear Irving

  2. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Santa Rosa at Dear Irving

  3. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Hero of Little Venice at Dear Irving

  4. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Dear Irving

  5. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Dear Irving

  6. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Dear Irving

  7. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Dear Irving

  8. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Dear Irving

  9. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Dear Irving

  10. Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz
    Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

    Dear Irving

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Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

It’s a scene straight out of Midnight in Paris—or maybe Back to the Future—all golden-age yearning and space-time shuffling. This dapper Gramercy lounge, from Raines Law Room operators Alberto Benenati and Yves Jadot, is a railroad space divided into period-piece quarters, including a tufted Victorian parlor and an ashtray-dotted hooch den worthy of Don Draper. Spend an hour at this luxe oasis and you’ll completely lose track of time—no DeLorean required.

ORDER THIS: The cocktail menu, created by Raines’ booze maven Meaghan Dorman, features tried-and-true classics (Gibson, Paloma) and house creations like the Hero of Little Venice, an elevated rum-spiked root-beer float capped with fluffy egg whites and a sprinkling of nutmeg. The well-balanced Whiskey Business highlights rye’s spicy bite with smoky ancho chile, tempered with bright lemon, while the baking-spice backbeat of the lime-and-hibiscus Santa Rosa—garnished flamboyantly with mint sprigs and a cherry—imparts a bitter, earthy finish.

GOOD FOR: Feeding your nostalgic whims. The era hopping begins with black-leather club chairs and vintage glamour shots in the meticulous mid-20th-century room, flowing back into a Gatsby-esque display of decadence—crystal curtains veil banquettes, and art deco splashes everything from the gold-striped floor to the glittering tin ceiling; beyond that, a rococo, gold-leaf-kissed salon that would make Marie Antoinette swoon. Fittingly, the tunes run the gamut of Parisian accordion riffs, big-band ditties and ’60s elevator muzak.

THE CLINCHER: Cocktail waitresses in floor-length gowns appear on demand: When you’re ready for another round, just flip the small orange switch on the wall. Those firmly ensconced in their time-bending experience need not be fussed with the hubbub of newly arriving patrons—all guests must wait in the lobby to be ushered inside in a civilized fashion. That way, everyone can party like it’s 1967­—or 1923 or 1885. You decide.

Written by
Rheanna O’Neil Bellomo

Details

Address:
55 Irving Pl
New York
10003
Cross street:
between 17th and 18th Sts
Transport:
Subway: L, N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6 to 14th St–Union Sq
Price:
Average cocktail: $15. AmEx, DC, MC, V
Opening hours:
Mon-Sat 5pm-2am, Sun 5pm-1am
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