New York drinkers and diners are demanding. They are used to the best. And, since they are spoiled for choice in terms of bars and restaurants, they usually can get the best. New York City has some of the best cocktail bars in the world. So it stands to reason that it has some of the best representations of classic cocktails in the world. But where exactly to head when you’re craving that perfect Old-Fashioned? There’s the rub. The secret intel of where to get the greatest Martinis, Manhattans, Negronis and Daiquiris is not necessarily handed to you. It takes a lot of sleuthing and a good deal of experience.
Luckily, sleuthing is what I do and drinking experience is what I have. So I’ve put together a handy-dandy guide that will help you cut down on the leg work and cut right to the chase. This list is by no means complete; I can’t get to every bar, though it may sometimes seem like I do. But it’s a solid starting place (To contribute your knowledge, please Join the Discussion on classic-cocktail destinations in Gotham.)
Bloody Mary
Dante: I like a savory Bloody, and Dante’s is about as savory as they come, chock full of veggies (carrot, fennel, celery, cucumber, red bell pepper), green and red Tabasco sauce and a fennel salt rim.
King Cole Bar: It’s called the Red Snapper here, because that’s what it used to be called when the drink was introduced to the United States. Oh, and it was introduced here.
Boulevardier
Long Island Bar: Owner Toby Cecchini has a thing for Boulevardiers. And now, because of him, we all have a thing for Boulevardiers. Two kinds of whisky and two kinds of vermouth are part of the blend.
Clover Club
Clover Club: Duh. Who else in town is going to specialize in this once-lost pre-Prohibition cocktail? Luckily, it’s so good we don’t need anyone else to.
Comsopolitan
Long Island Bar: Owner Cecchini invented the Cosmopolitan at Odeon back in 1988. And now he serves that same version at his Brooklyn bar. It’s not on the menu, but they’ll make it. A frozen Cosmo is on the menu. They’ll make that, too.
Odeon: The birthplace of the Cosmo still serves the drink, and they do right by it.
Daiquiri:
Leyenda: A straightforward, classic and perfect trifecta of rum, lime and sugar.
Sunken Harbor Club: You could get a regular Daiquiri at this nautical bar hidden upstairs from Gage & Tollner, and they’d give you a fine one. But they have a special Daiquiri on the menu at all times. Live a little.
Any Sasha Petraske bar: The Daiquiri was the late Sasha Petraske’s favorite cocktail, so the bars he founded and left behind take extra care with them. That includes Attaboy, Little Branch and Dutch Kills.
Gibson:
Dear Irving: The one bar in New York City to truly, truly take Gibsons seriously. You won’t find a better. The bianco vermouth contributes softness and the red pearl onion adds visual flash.
Irish coffee:
Dead Rabbit: The bar founded by two Irishmen does a great version of a drink born in Ireland. Imagine. The choice of Irish whisky has changed over the years. Currently it is Bushmill’s.
Fort Defiance: This Red Hook bar isn’t open right now, but it will be soon. When it does, make this your first order.
Mai Tai
Sunken Harbor Club: A complex and subtle recipe by bartender Garret Richard involving Latitude 29 orgeat, Grand Marnier, Clement Creole Shrub, and three rums. You won’t find a better in the city.
Manhattan
Clover Club: The house Manhattan, made with Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon, comes with a little dish of Gouda cheese on the side, an ingenious touch which sets it apart from the pack.
Sardi’s: The old-school bartenders here aren’t necessarily apt at a broad variety of drinks, but they know how to make a Manhattan, because they’ve been making them for decades. Just be sure to specific your preferred bourbon or rye.
Donohue’s Steak House: Like Sardi’s, the bartenders here make dozens of these things a night. Again, specify your whiskey or you’ll get the rail booze. Leaving the pint glass filled with additional cocktail and the julep strainer with the customer is a nice touch. Bonus points for being possibly the fastest Manhattan in town. I’ve rarely waited more than 30 seconds.
Employees Only: They add a little Grand Marnier to they mix here. Not orthodox, but it keeps ‘em coming back.
Margarita
El Parador Cafe: This old-school Mexican restaurant in Manhattan has been making Margaritas right long before agave bars were even a twinkle in any mixologist’s eye. And there’s choice—you can have them served up, on the rocks, frozen or fruity. Everybody’s happy.
Leyenda: This excellent and elemental Margarita never goes off the menu at this Brooklyn bar dedicated to Latin spirits. Arette is the house Tequila. It’s typically served on the rocks with salt and that’s definitely the way to go.
Martini
Bar Goto: A soft and elegant mix of sake, gin, and maraschino liqueur, and crowned with a cherry blossom.
Bar Pisellino: The only bar in New York where you can order a Martini in proper Italian fashion, with a dainty tramezzino on the side.
Bemelmans Bar: It’s expensive. It’s big. It’s gin-heavy (unless you specify otherwise). And it’s what you want in this retro dream of an Upper East Side hotel bar.
Katana Kitten: They say you first drink with your eyes. There’s a lot for your orbs to feast on with the stemless, conical glass, served over crushed ice in a wooden masu box. The gin-vodka mixture that comes next is an excellent follow-up.
Keens Steakhouse: A proper backdrop is very important where Martinis are concerned. Few settings can compare with the warm, wood-paneled time machine that is the barroom at Keens.
Le Grenouille: What I said about the background for Keens goes for this place, too, the last old-school French restaurant in New York. The hushed atmosphere will also cause you to slow down and enjoy every sip of your Martini.
Long Island Bar: It’s fussy—sake, gin, blanco vermouth and a bergamot-pomelo tincture—but it doesn’t taste fussy. It’s just tastes right.
Maison Premiere: They call is a King Cole Martini and it’s prepared table side with overproof Old Raj Gin and a variety of garnishes. You’ll be enjoying yourself before you even take a sip.
Negroni:
Amor y Amargo: This bar has a thing for bitters. The Negroni’s a bitter drink. Put two and two together, my friends.
Brooklyn Inn: I know it’s counter-intuitive. This Brooklyn institution is a beer bar. But all I order here is Negronis on the rocks. And I’ve never had a bad one. I also like the compact, unusual glass they serve them in.
Ci Siamo: This new Italian restaurant in midtown Manhattan has quickly shown itself to possess an expert hand at the classics, including its Negroni, which is here made with Occitan, an Italian gin, and a bit of Barolo Chinato.
Dante: Negroni, hell. They’re got a Negroni menu! Also, the standard recipe is on tap. No waiting.
Old-Fashioned
Dutch Kills: This Long Island City bar still does their Old-Fashioned the Sasha Petraske way—simple and with the “bunny ears” of combined orange and lemon twists. Sometimes I think I’ve talked myself into the idea that it’s the best in town. They I have another one and all doubt is dispelled.
Attaboy: Formerly Milk & Honey, founded by Petraske, and now run by Milk & Honey bartenders. See above.
Gallagher’s: Can an old-school steak house make a decent Old-Fashioned? They can.
Paloma
Leyenda: Like the Margarita, the Paloma never goes off the Leyenda menu . It is made with house grapefruit soda and on draft.
Pimm’s Cup
Maison Premiere: Did you know the Pimm’s Cup is always available at this Williamsburg bar, or that they’ve invented dozens of seasonal versions of the British refresher? Now you do.
Queens Park Swizzle
Dutch Kills: Because, quite frankly, no other bar takes as much trouble with this fussy, crushed-ice, rum drink as they do here, or makes as many of them.
Sazerac:
Maison Premiere: Of course a bar that wears a New Orleans personality is going to make a good Sazerac. Did I mention that it’s prepared tableside? Did I mention they have three version to choose from?
67 Orange Street: The split-base Cognac-Whiskey Sazerac is the oldest drink on the menu at this Harlem speakeasy. It may be the best, too.
Turf Club
Gage & Tollner: Who bothers to master a good version of this little-known 19th-century cousin of the Martini? This place does, that’s who.
The Grill: Oh, and this place does, too! How lucky are New Yorkers to have two places to go to for a good Turf Club?
Whiskey Highball
Bar Goto: The Japanese-style whiskey highball is a mysterious thing of ineffable balance and subtle flavor. But you know when it’s right. At Bar Goto, it’s right.
Vodka Martini
Russian Samovar: If you must have a Vodka Martini, get it here, where they have dozens of home vodka infusions for you to choose from sitting behind the bar.
All Around Bars
These bars are for when you want to stick to the tried-and-true over several rounds without ever leaving your barstool; places where you can get excellent versions of an impressive number of classic cocktails. There aren’t many. It’s an elite club.
Gage & Tollner: This Brooklyn institutions has been around since 1879, and it’s mastered many drinks that have been around nearly as long, including the Perfect Martini, Jack Rose, Sidecar and Rob Roy.
The Bar at the Grill: The bar at the former Four Seasons used to be known mainly for strong, bucket-size Martinis. Now, in its reborn form, you can get everything from a Tuxedo to a Champagne Cocktail, all in fine fettle.
Dante: This haven of Italianate apertivo drinking is best known for its Negronis and Garibaldi. But really, you can get nearly everything here, including a first rate Martini and Grasshoppers
Odds and Ends…
Jeffrey Morganthaler, the Portland bartending legend who lost his bar, Clyde Common, to the pandemic, has found a new home. He and Benjamin “Banjo” Amberg will open Pacific Standard, a new bar, restaurant and “love letter to the West Coast” in the sprawling lounge of Portland’s Icelandic hotel KEX. It will open in June.… PDT, the famed New York City cocktail bar, begins a month-long pop-up in the Empire State Building tomorrow, and also opens on May 13 Calle San Marco, a summer-long outdoor pop-up in the East Village, featuring agave-forward craft cocktails featuring inspiration and ingredients from Mexico… The operators of Hudson, New York’s Wm. Farmer and Sons restaurant are partnering with bar owner Richard Boccato (Dutch Kills) and his wife Patricia to open a new restaurant in Bolton Landing, on Lake George. Called The Gem, it is due to open for business this month. Next door will be a liquor store called Little Gem.
I’m going to guess if I ever make it there Maison Premiere will be my Vieux Carré place? Thank you. Will be dreaming of a visit.
Good list. I’d give Katana Kitten a nod for the whisky highball, too—it’s what I drink there, and it’s always spot on, if straightforward. I would also a genuine classic that is simply overlooked: the Sherry Cobbler at both Maison Premiere and Gage & Tollner.