A New Speakeasy From The Raines Law Room Crew!
I wanted to catch-up with a friend (Michelle) that is also in the alcohol industry - naturally, we decided to meet for a cocktail. She knew of a new speakeasy that opened up several weeks ago and I was down to check it out! Dear Irving (http://www.dearirving.com/) is located a short walk from Union Square, on Irving between 17th and 18th.
The space has an incredible vibe to it with four separate rooms (I don't remember all the special names for the rooms, but there Is a distinct vibe in each). The first room has leather seating and is very refined. The next is draped in sparkles (in a photo below). Then, you enter a room with the bar and plenty of seating at it. Finally, there is a plush, swanky room (I believe it is called the Marie Antoinette room).
A lot of the styling reminded me of both The Raines Law Room (speakeasy) and The Peacock & The Shakespeare (swanky bar and British restaurant). Not surprisingly, Dear Irving is a sister location to these two other businesses. I encourage you to visit them all.
Beautiful Back Bar
I chose to sit at the bar because I love to see the bartenders (true professionals) at work! It is also such a treat to speak to them about the cocktails and their backgrounds.
Fresh Citrus? Check.
When you are seated, you are given what looks like a dossier. It is a folder with multiple menus in it, presented in a beautiful way. Clearly, I already visited the website before I arrived, but read the menu again in case I changed my mind.
The Bartenders are SO FAST I could not capture them in the shot
I went with the Espresso Martini. I love a sweet cocktail and I felt like I needed a dose of caffeine. The cocktail was delicious - perfectly balanced; not too sweet or bitter. Just right!
The menu shows great character and attention to detail
I loved my cocktail. We both had other obligations to get to, otherwise, I would have been happy to stay here all night. It was an incredibly rainy night, so laying low in a speakeasy sounded more fun than getting soaked outside!
Espresso Martini
One of Michelle's coworkers suggested that she order the Gibson. It was a gorgeous gin-based drink - garnished with a pickled onion.
A Classic - The Gibson
Before we left, I snapped a shot of the swanky crystal curtains- It reminds me of the Chandelier bar at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.
Beautiful Setting
If you're a fan of cocktails and speakeasies, you will fall in love with Dear Irving too! Cocktails are about $15 and well worth the indulgence!
Cheers,
Liz