Cocktail Destination Dear Irving Expands to Midtown Penthouse With a View

Dear Irving, one of New York City’s top cocktail bars, is expanding to Times Square. The drink destination will open a large new location in the Aliz Hotel, spread across the top two floors with four balconies and a Midtown rooftop view.

Owner Yves Jadot and bar director-owner Meaghan Dorman are taking the Dear Irving brand — precise cocktails in a throwback space — and tweaking it slightly for a Times Square crowd at 310 West 40 St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues. That means adding more space, with significantly increased standing room for 195 people total.

While the downtown location has a Midnight in Paris theme, the style here is James Bond and art deco, designed by Delphine Mauroit. The 40th floor is James Bond territory with about 40 seats, with room for 80 standing, as a nod to the more densely populated area for people to experience the view. To go with the James Bond theme, there are some hidden areas here and a concealed entrance. The 41st floor is the reservation-only art deco area, with 75 more spacious seats, in a style more similar to the downtown location.

An expanded drink menu follows a larger space. Some popular classic cocktails from downtown will be available here, such as a gibson, paloma, and boulevardier. But new drinks include an old fashioned with maple bitters and apple liqueur and a daiquiri with pineapple syrup and toasted coconut. There will also be some food, including various toasts, sliders, and a croque monsieur.

Dear Irving on Hudson — the official name here — may be on the top floors of a building, but with just four outdoor balconies, the team is trying to avoid that typical rooftop scene. “We’re definitely trying to stay away from rooftop and that connotation, because most of the real estate is inside,” Dorman says. “We’ve been calling it ‘Dear Irving with a view’ amongst ourselves.”

Since Dear Irving opened near Union Square in 2014, it’s racked up the accolades, including from Esquire and Tales of the Cocktail. The Times Square location opens in January, and will be open daily from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Stay tuned for more.

• All Coverage of Dear Irving [ENY]