Slowly Shirley, the 1940's Hollywood-Themed Bar Beneath The Happiest Hour

It was only yesterday that we went inside Tico's Tequila Bar from theme bar maven Jon Neidich, but Tico's isn't the only bar Neidich is opening this month. Now it's time for a look at Slowly Shirley, the bar opening today beneath the Happiest Hour in Greenwich Village. While Tico's is a subterranean Mexican disco beneath Tijuana Picnic, at Slowly Shirley we find ourselves in 1940's Hollywood. The decor is decidedly art deco, with plush, oxblood colored banquets, light sconces salvaged from a Miami beach hotel, and a large compass embedded in the terrazzo floor. There's room for 40 guests in the seating area, and the bar can hold another 14.

Neidich has partnered with bar whiz Jim Kearns (also the barman upstairs) who has crafted a cocktail menu that either evokes the era, or at least reimagines it. Martinis are served in, to keep them pure and undiluted, and there is a coffee-based cocktail for two served in a Chemex. A limited food menu is also available, and includes a single patty version of The Happiest Burger from upstairs.

Take a look around the space above and at the cocktail menu below: