Dear Irving

My girls took me here for a early birthday celebration. The atmosphere was nice. Great place if you wish to sit and talk for the night. Drinks had a lot of spice it them. Waiter was very nice. However our waitress had an attitude, rolled her eyes a couple times.

Meh. I came here because of the amazing Unilocal reviews and there is supposedly some connection here with Raine’s. However, I did not enjoy my experience here.
The cocktails were probably the best part – very delicious and what I expected from a pricier cocktail bar.
The ambience was also very exquisite – the décor, the high ceiling in the back of the bar, the low lighting, and the seating area was all great.
What will not have me coming back however is three-​fold.
First, the smell. I wouldn’t say I have the sharpest nose, however there definitely was a distinct foul odor in the couches we were sitting at in the back. Think piss x cheese… or something of that sort.
Secondly, the service. The waitress was rude, not attentive, and slow. We really disliked her because she made some backhanded comment to my friend not being from NY when she’s lived here for 5+ years.
Thirdly, the cheese plate. Don’t order it. Literally wasn’t edible. I wish I had pictures. The cheese came out like a stick of butter. It was super hard, difficult to eat, we ended up just eating the bread because we were pretty hungry.
Maybe it was just my individual experience that just happened to have all these negative factors coming into play, however I won’t really take the chance and come here again.

Had the pleasure of coming to Dear Irving on a Monday after work to catch up with a girlfriend. It was the perfect venue for this: intimate and quiet, yet so swanky and made us feel pampered. The interior is stunningly beautiful, with the look and feel of a classic speakeasy. Luxurious velvet couches and toile chairs are dispersed throughout the space in different rooms and with enough room between so as not to feel cramped. We had a lush red velvet couch to ourselves and it was a great setup. We each got several drinks, and shared the Lobster Rolls and the Ricotta Flatbreads. Both food items were delicious, if just a bit expensive. The drinks were the real stars of the show. I enjoyed the Vice Versa, the Hotel Nacional, and a custom-​created creation by the bartenders based on my tastes that included gin, lemon, strawberry, st. germain, and champagne. They were all AMAZING. My friend had two beers and the Three Little Birds which was a delicious caribbean rum drink with autumnal undertones. The service was great and attentive, and you order by pushing a service button next to your table, which was a cool touch. I can’t wait to return to this place!

Love this place!!! We couldn’t get a reservation on a weeknight, but they promptly seat us at the bar and let us know when a seat opened up shortly thereafter. The seating was in a gorgeous room in the back that looked and felt like a French salon. However, there was a little light switch on the wall near each seating area so you could call the waiter over. Brilliant! I felt so cared for.
Both me and my friend ordered a Hotel National, last on the cocktail menu and definitely the best. Served up, it’s a sweet, girly, fruity drink, which is exactly what I wanted. They did have a food menu but it’s not extensive and you don’t really go here for food, but for the drinks. We ordered a second round of cocktails, bartenders choice, with the direction that we really liked the first one, Hotel National. That one wasn’t as sweet, which wasn’t what we wanted, but it was well mixed and had interesting flavors. I would love to go back with a group and sit in the booths surrounded by the clear beaded curtains!

This place is cool. Can’t believe we got a spot for 3 on a Friday night but we did! I loved the food. The salmon cones are lusciously delicious and the nibbles plate is something I’d highly recommend. It comes with a bowl of fancy cheese cubes, salami and spicy olives. I could make a meal out of just that. The drinks are typical speakeasy fashion and I’ve had better, but they are good. The vice versa seems to be their most popular drink and as a fan of fizzy grapefruit drinks, I appreciated it! Definitely go for the ambiance and to check it out but it may prove a little pricey for a regular spot.

Waited for 2 hours… they told my friend she was too drunk to get in… WHAT? (We weren’t even close to being drunk)
I came here last week with a group of 4. Never got seated… waited outside cold for 2 hours… They could have told us earlier that they are not going to seat us than we could have went to other bar or something. Instead they made us wait 2 hours and told us we cannot get in for being drunk? I know in fact that we weren’t even close to being drunk… after that we just left went to other bar near union square. (Plus it was my friend’s birthday and it was her favorite bar but never coming back)
Most unpleasant experience I had in NYC (New Yoker for almost 15 years)
That wasn’t nice.

I love love love Dear Irving. I remember finding it on Unilocal when it had less then 10 reviews. I wished I could have kept it a secret…
Things I love:
Décor is amazing
Drinks are delicious!
It’s a mixology bar (try strawberries, lemon, honey, seltzer and vodka!!!)
You can make reservations
It’s a large space unlike most cramped speakeasies
Such a cute date spot
Good for large groups too (they have big booths)

Fantastic cocktail lounge. They have a nice size list of specialty cocktails and will not hesitate to do something off menu. The setting is comfortable as can be and the music over the speakers is funky. Not to mention their service is on the ball, so yeah its a solid 5 star destination. I wish I had something like it in my home town!

Beautiful, classy speakeasy with bedazzling décor and great concoctions. Great place for dates or a small group hangout. If you can make reservations, I would definitely do that as it can be quite a wait during the weekend. Like Raines Law Room, there is a bell for you to ring if you want a waiter to come by.

Okay, real rating: 4.5 stars.
I have a serious love for speakeasies and this is not only a speakeasy but also close to my apartment. I love this spot. We had our office holiday party here (yes, I know bougie. My job is the greatest.) so my review is largely based on that experience. We did have another drink after the holiday party and were able to experience DI as non event guests too.
The vibes are great. It is a traditional speakeasy with velvet curtains, leather couches, and fancy lighting. I remember walking in and being overwhelmed with how great the atmosphere is. Our part was in the space toward the back of the bar which really takes you back to another time period. DI is more than just a cool bar, it’s an experience.
The bartenders have fantastic personalities. (Maybe it was because we had a few of our own for the party?) You can tell that they are fun people who love to make drinks, It’s only pitfall is that the cocktails are pretty average. They are good cocktails but are missing the element of a really refined craft cocktail. The Ideal Patriot was my favorite out of all the ones that I tried.
I highly recommend DI if you’re in the area. It’s right up there with Raines Law Room.

Intimate speakeasy, cute for small groups or a date night. Low lighting and good appetizers. We had the foie gras and it was delicious. Fun relaxing night. The atmosphere feels like you’ve been taken back in time.

The ambience here is awesome. The back room is beautiful and a bit private.
The drinks across the board were pretty good. At a $ 15 price point I would have imagined a menu that was a bit more interesting and varied. It was tough to find something that I just «Had to try.» My drink, Play on a Manhattan, came a bit too hot but it was good nonetheless.
Recommend.

Really liked this place! We arrived at about 11pm on a Saturday night and was told the wait would be about an hour, which it was. They take your phone number and text when it’s your turn so no big deal. We were seated on a very comfortable couch and loved the surroundings inside. My hubs thought his cocktails were great and had a lot of fun choosing them from the large menu.
The button service is a nice touch so you’re not interrupted while you are enjoying your drinks. Great date place or spot to catch up with a girlfriend. Jazz music was playing at a pleasant volume so you can chat easily.

My wife and I walked in to this place and immediately thought to ourselves… «haven’t we been here before»? We showed up without a reservation on a Sunday night and were immeditely seated up front. I imagine that if you have a reservation and/​or have a larger group, you’ll get seated in the more schnazzy section of the bar with the crystal beads.
After a quick convo with the waitress, we then realized why we felt like we’ve been here before… it’s the same company as Raines Law Room. DUH. The quality of the cocktails was absolutely top notch. The service was quick and friendly thanks to the door bells next to each table and the cheese plate was good.
Jazz music in the background if that is your type of thing. This is a great place for groups. Drink cost on average is $ 15.

My husband and a great friend of ours visited Dear Irving for after work drinks. Dear Irving has several different themed rooms, each table has a drink buzzer (which we enjoyed), and there is an awesome vintage style bar. My favorite room was the Marie Antoinette room (where we reserved a table), it was like Laduree made a bar. Loved it! Make sure you get a reservation in advance, because no one without a reservation was getting a table.
The drinks are pricey, but worth the splurge. My husband and I loved trying all the different specialty cocktails. I probably wouldn’t make a weekly habit of going to Dear Irving, but it is a great place for a date, special occasion, or swanky night out. I look forward to returning!

My favorite speakeasy in NY! It is very spacious and sooooo cute. There are different rooms/​seating areas so I think it is awesome that there are different types of vibes here (all good though!) There is one seating area for larger parties with booths and crystal beads hanging. Another area was more of a bar feel with the actual bartender, darker lighting, and stools. The seating area that I was at had a very cute/​girly tearoom feel with quilted seats and floral wallpaper and even had a service button you can push when you needed something! The drinks were good and priced at ~$ 15, which seems to be pretty standard at these speakeasies. I loved that it was nicely lit and not too loud so you can actually enjoy the company of your party. Another plus was that we were able to get seated and not having to deal with reservations or that exclusive bs.

This is what it’s all about for me… A place where you can have amazing cocktails in a cool atmosphere. Dear Irving is a 1930’s style speakeasy located in the Gramercy section of Manhattan. As with most speakeasies of this type, the entrance is a bit easy to miss as it blends in with the surrounding environment.
Once inside (if there’s availability) you enter into a dimly lit boardwalk empire kind of atmosphere. There are winding seats throughout and the there is a button for you to push when you’re ready for drinks or apps.
The drinks are excellent. I tried a few different ones and they were exactly what you’d expect from a speakeasy of this type: authentic, strong and delicious. Oh, and the 1930’s Jazz they have playing in the background is the perfect touch.
All in all, Dear Irving is a winner. A great player in the Manhattan speakeasy scene that must be tried.

Transported.
That’s how I felt upon entering. Otis redding’s «these arms of mine» was playing and I entered this room that was reminiscent of the great gatsby or some ‘20s speakeasy joint. Dark. Seductive. Mysterious. Plus there is a switch on the wall that you use to flag service (you can switch it on mid-​kiss).
We were there LATE night so there was no wait and there were not a ton of patrons. It was perfect for the end of a very rare date night that extended past 1 am in Manhattan (!).
The drinks were amazing. For reals.
The espresso martini was so impressive — they incorporate cold pressed coffee with espresso and vanilla liqueurs. Not too sweet — with the perfect coffee to alcohol ratio and smooth.
The ginger drink (can’t remember the name) was also surprisingly impressive. The ginger had spice, plus there was a slight fruity effervescent ingredient added. The best part was the spicy candied ginger that accompanies the cocktail. Great for people, like me, who love the extra spice kick.
The cheese plate though. Omfg. I can say this was the best cheese plate that we have had in recent memory. It matched our palate to the T. It included Comte cheese with perfectly smooth and funky Roquefort cheese and a wedge of a goats milk cheese that was less barnyardy than usual. Props to the chef or person that put those three tastes in a plate.
Dear Irving, thank you.

I came here based on a recommendation from a friend who said this place is very «Great Gatsby.» I’d say more Antoinette than Gatsby, but I guess it depends on what room you’re in. We went with a group of 4 on a Wednesday night around 9pm. We had about a 30 minute wait and got a very spacious table in one of the back rooms. Service was superb and I like that you click a button for service as opposed to flagging service down in this multi-​room establishment.
I had the blossom & six which was very light and refreshing. I think the drink was lovely but nothing terribly unique or out of the ordinary for this type of speakeasy. The small bites were what you’d expect as well, small munchies but nothing spectacular. I think where this place really wins is with he atmosphere. Great vibe. Great service. Great lighting. Very romantic. Take a date here… well, one you really like because the drinks aren’t cheap.

After multiple attempts, I finally made it inside Dear Irving. This place has an absurdly long wait on the weekends, so I’d say your best off making a reservation a few days in advance (the website won’t allow you to make reservations day of). In any case, I was able to walk in no problem on a Thursday night around 9 (I’m guessing the fact that it’s a holiday week/​weekend helped), and wow is this place glamorous!
Upon entering, you are led to any number of plush seating options. We happened to be seated at a table with two luxurious armchairs, but if you’re lucky, you may get to experience the opulence that is a semi-​private booth. I say semi-​private only because you’re shrouded from most of the crowd by curtains of shimmering gemstones. I regret not taking a proper walk through this establishment — if there is a next time, I’d like to get the full experience.
I actually didn’t realize that Dear Irving and Raines Law Room are owned by the same people until reading previous reviews, but if you have been to both as I have, it’s pretty easy to deduce that they’re connected in some way. The jazz, the luxury, the doorbell-​type method of ordering a drink — consistent in both venues. I love that doorbell feature though — adds to the exclusive, alluring vibe of thins place.
Now onto the most important part — the drinks! Creative and delicious. You need to pay a pretty penny for them, but most of them are worth it (not the celery g + t — wasn’t really a fan). The two pictured are the «Whiskey Business» (points for the name — shocked I haven’t seen a whiskey cocktail with this wordplay before) and the «Vice Versa». Gin and whiskey are my go-​to spirits, so these caught my eye immediately. The waitress adamantly recommended both, so who was I not to trust my instincts and the word of our classy waitress?
Whiskey Business: rye, ancho chile liqueur, cinnamon, lemon, angostura bitters
Vice Versa: gin, grapefruit, bitter, pamplemousse liqueur, rosé cava
These drinks are quite different, so it’s impossible to pick a favorite. Completely depends on what mood you’re in. Apparently I was in the mood for both, because each had me reveling in this speakeasy splendor. I started out with the Whiskey Business and ended with the Vice Versa, but I’d advise switching them — the Whiskey Business is more of a nightcap-​type drink.
Lastly, I’ll echo what other Unilocalers have picked up on — this place screams date to me. Intimate, sexy, classy, boozy — what more could you ask for?