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The Rickey

  • Bars
  • Midtown West
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
The Rickey
Photograph: Courtesy the RickeyThe Rickey
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Time Out says

3 out of 5 stars

When picturing the quintessential New York cocktail den, you’re more likely to mentally map it on some chic downtown street corner than in Midtown West, the hotel-packed neighborhood that’s traditionally been a culinary no-man’s-land. Enter the Rickey, a low-lit lounge in the lobby of the Dream Midtown hotel, that's doing its part to change that perception with thoughtfully mixed craft cocktails.

With a bar overseen by veteran mixologist Johnny Swet (Balthazar, Pastis), the Rickey presents itself as a hip, cocktail-geek–worthy hangout, not just your average hotel watering hole. Plush leather banquettes punctuate the long, candlelit space, and copper lamps designed by Terry Peikin add their own unique glow. 

The Rickey’s aspirations truly shine forth on its cocktail menu, a concise list of 15 drinks that make ample use of fresh ingredients and premium liquors. The most successful tipple is the Cartel ($15), a tropical breeze of a drink that pairs Sailor Jerry rum and fresh pineapple juice over a cube of frozen coconut water that rounds out the tartness as it dilutes. 

A similarly vacation-evoking Weekend in Cabo ($15) makes smart use of both Don Julio tequila and Illegal reposado tequila, the former bringing backbone and the latter providing a wisp of smoke that tames sweet watermelon and agave. 

But the Rickey’s serious-cocktail aspirations are often foiled by a too-liberal hand with sweeteners. The Colonel Joe ($15), a bourbon variation on the bar’s eponymous gin drink, packs a sugary punch that spites the presence of fresh mint and grilled lime. A Walnut Sazerac ($15) lacks a sufficient kick of rye to balance the Nocello, and a Jim Beam-spiked Sweet Georgia Brown ($15) lives up to its moniker all too well.

The Rickey might not be able to go snifter-to-snifter with revered downtown speakeasies, but when you find yourself in the neighborhood entertaining out-of-town guests, it’s a fun, more-than-respectable spot to sip a carefully chosen libation.

Written by
Lauren Rothman

Details

Address:
210 W 55th St
New York
10019
Price:
Average cocktail: $15
Opening hours:
Mon-Sat 5pm-1am
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