Cocktail Bar Dear Irving Evokes New Eras at the Aliz Hotel

Since opening Dear Irving has been a unique addition to the NYC cocktail scene. Guests are immediately transported to a different era—well, four different eras—based on distinctive decor choices in the bars four main spaces. With those spaces come a cocktail menu designed by Dear Irving founder and acclaimed mixologist Meaghan Dorman, who concocted drinks that would fit in a rooms evoking Marie Antoinette’s parlor or Jay Gatsby’s roaring twenties soirees.

Now Dorman has bought that dreamy charm to the Aliz Hotel, for the second outpost of Dear Irving. Occupying the top of the 41-floor hotel, the new location evokes a mid-century feel, this time inspired by ’60s era James Bond films. Pink sofas, rounded mirror, and an oval ceiling with sputnik chandeliers hanging down all lend themselves to the Connery-era of Bond, when sixties design was at its most vibrant. The elegant feel wouldn’t be complete without spectacular views of Manhattan, with floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies facing both the north and south side of the hotel. The cocktails also reflect the era, featuring new signature drinks like the Panorama Daiquiri—which we can picture Bond sipping on at the Goldeneye Jamaica—alongside the buttoned-up classics like Gibsons and Boulevardiers. There will also be a second floor above debuting later this year with an Art Deco theme, giving guests a choice in which era they’d like to envelop themselves in over a drink. “We definitely brought the time travel vibe between the two floors and the two eras,” Dorman says, “but what we definitely try to do here is say yes to more people. The 40th floor is more flexible, especially to hotel guests, while the 41st floor will be seated with reservations, which is what we’re known for—as a more formal service. We want people visiting or that live here to get a more authentic New York experience.”

This year Times Square is being revitalized, and the neighborhood which has long been known as a tourist trap might find new visitors seeking tasteful social spaces. The best part of the neighborhood, though, is how much it feels like you’re actually in New York, something you don’t always appreciate when you’re tucked away in a downtown den. The new Dear Irving is a perfect reminder of that, and when you’re standing on the balcony with a  clear view of the Empire State and the Chrysler Buildings, you feel like New York might just be as spectacular as you thought when you first came here.

Dear Irving on Hudson is now open at the Aliz Hotel