Securing a vote as “The World’s Best Bar” is no small feat. Securing it in back-to-back years is damn near impossible. Such is the case for New York City’s multi-award-winning The Dead Rabbit NYC. This month, the now iconic bar is crossing the pond for an exclusive pop-up takeover of London’s equally iconic Claridge’s Bar.
On paper, the idea of a relaxed 19th-century-style Irish tavern promising great beer, extensive whisky and whiskey menus, and “the best Guinness in New York” hardly seems like a novelty. In fact, it reads like the prologue to a thousand other failed bars littering Manhattan’s streets. But, two of the world’s premier booze connoisseurs — Jack McGarry (an international bartender of the year and self-described “walking drinks encyclopedia”) and Sean Muldoon (an influential force behind Belfast’s The Merchant — already one of the world’s best cocktail bars) — committed to doing it anyway. After six years, they got all the details right, cementing one of the most successful, destination-worthy watering holes in the city’s history.
Now, the famed cocktail bar is heading to London for a one-week takeover of the city’s immensely popular Claridge’s Bar. Located inside the legendary five-star Claridge’s hotel, the namesake bar is already well known among discerning Mayfair drinkers for its top-notch selection of vintage Champagnes and rare liquors. Coupled with a staff that understands the nuanced flavor profiles of every liquor in their toolkit, this is the place to go if you’re seeking a perfectly poured cocktail in London. So, it seems only fitting that Dead Rabbit NYC would take over the joint by recreating their second floor “Parlor” inside Claridge’s. An edited menu of select signature cocktails including Psycho Killer and their famous Irish Coffee will be served alongside hearty fare like their Irish lamb stew and lobster deviled eggs. Other details like the eclectic, comic book-style menu and ragtime piano background music round out the takeover. The collaboration is another in a series of partnerships Dead Rabbit has completed with Big Easy at Canary Wharf and a brief stint at their sister bar, the Cuban-flavored BlackTail Bar NYC.
Reserved bookings for the event — providing bar-goers with a guaranteed 90-minute seating — sold out almost immediately. The bar is still encouraging anyone who’s interested to show up, however. They’re guaranteeing a seat, although it may require a long wait in the adjacent Taproom.
