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I got a drink at one of NYC's most iconic cocktail bars, which serves a $190 signature cocktail and claims to have invented the Bloody Mary - but its elegant ambience wasn't quite worth the pricey drinks
I got a drink at one of NYC's most iconic cocktail bars, which serves a $190 signature cocktail and claims to have invented the Bloody Mary - but its elegant ambience wasn't quite worth the pricey drinks
New York City is full of cocktail bars, but only one can lay claim to inventing the Bloody Mary, as well as hosting an array of celebrities over the years that include Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, and Joe DiMaggio.
The King Cole Bar is inside the swanky St. Regis hotel in Manhattan, which is the top-rated hotel in New York City, according to US News & World Report. Its namesake is a massive mural that stretches behind the bar, painted by Maxfield Parrish in 1906. It was originally commissioned by John Jacob Astor, who built the St. Regis, for another of his hotels, The Knickerbocker. The painting was moved to the St. Regis in 1932.
The clientele of King Cole Bar are sophisticated businesspeople and celebrities with no qualms about dropping $26 on a cocktail or $28 on a glass of wine. After 4 p.m., guests at King Cole Bar must be at least 21 years old and be wearing "proper attire," which is a "smart casual" dress code, according to the website.
I recently got a drink at the bar - here's what it was like.
King Cole Bar has "limited availability" and doesn't take table reservations, with one exception: Table 55, which will cost you $2,500 to reserve.
The ultra-exclusive Table 55, tucked away in a private corner of the lounge, offers guest access to a secret seasonal six-course tasting menu and an exclusive menu of rare wines and whiskeys that can't be bought anywhere else at the hotel.
Table 55 can only be reserved 48 hours ahead of time by one party per night with a reservation fee of $2,500, which is put toward the bar tab.
Some of the rare wines available to guests of Table 55 include Chateau Petrus 1994, Chateau LafiteRothschild 1986, Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1975, and Krug Mesnil 1996.
On a recent January evening, I stopped for a drink at King Cole Bar before a night's stay at the St. Regis.
To get to the bar, I passed by the hotel's fine dining restaurant, Astor Court, but the bar also has a separate street entrance on 55th Street, down the block from the main entrance of the hotel.
The cocktail bar had a cozy, elegant vibe. Jazz music was playing quietly in the background, and there were candles on each table.
I could see why it was chosen as one of the filming locations for "Gossip Girl."
The wood-paneled walls and candlelit tables gave the bar an intimate atmosphere, but it was still clearly a high-end establishment.
People sitting at the bar had Louis Vuitton shopping bags on the floor next to them. Two women and a man to my left, who I'd estimate to be in their 40s, were discussing Broadway shows and the bankruptcy of upscale department store Barneys New York.
I was seated at a table against the wall and given a drink menu.
King Cole Bar has an extensive array of cocktails, wine, and beer on offer.
The drinks were definitely on the pricey side: Most cocktails were $26, and the signature St. Regis New York Cocktail with Dom Perignon, Hennessy Paradis, and Grand Marnier 100 cost a whopping $190.
A glass of red wine averaged about $28, although one went for $52 per glass and $400 per bottle.
Of course, the bar offers several different variations of Bloody Marys, each of which cost $25.
The menu includes a brief history of how the St. Regis' bartender invented the Bloody Mary in 1934, which was renamed the Red Snapper to appeal to the hotel's "elegant clientele."
There's the classic Red Snapper with Stolichnaya Elite Vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, and spices.
Then there's the Shogun Mary, which puts a twist on the classic Bloody Mary by using both vodka and gin, as well as soy sauce and wasabi powder. The Capitol Mary uses clam juice instead of tomato juice and adds Old Bay seasoning. And the Maryterranean adds olive oil and fresh basil and oregano.
I'm not a big fan of Bloody Marys, so I ordered a Jazz Me Blues cocktail that comprised pear-flavored Grey Goose vodka, Saint Germain, and Champagne.
The drink was complimentary because the hotel's check-in system wasn't working when I arrived, so they offered me a free cocktail at the King Cole Bar.
But if I'd had to pay $26 for it, I'm not sure I would've felt like it was worth it. It was crisp and refreshing, but I didn't feel there was anything particularly special or creative about it.
I probably should've gone with a Bloody Mary.
I was also served some snacks with my drink: cheese crisps, peanuts, and some vegetable chips.
I couldn't stop eating the cheese crisps.
After my drink at the King Cole Bar, it was clear that its allure lies in its cozy, sophisticated atmosphere and its history.
New York Magazine's review of King Cole Bar summed it up well: "If a bit of history is what you'd like, this is a good place to stop in. But if top-shelf cocktails are what you want, you might want to look elsewhere."
But of course, if you're a Bloody Mary enthusiast, where better to sip on the spicy cocktail than at its alleged birthplace?
