Dear Irving is an elegant speakeasy located on the charming Irving street in Gramercy. The new location at Hudson Yards is terrific as well, but it is a shlep from virtually anywhere besides the far west side. The Gramercy location is conveniently located.
It offers reservations, which make sense to take advantage of unless you don’t mind waiting. If you do choose to wait, there are an abundance of cute bars on Irving street that you can get a quick drink.
The star, however, is Dear Irving. A lovely setting with professional and pleasant staff, this is a great date spot.
The drinks are not cheap. They are well made and there is a cute doorbell at each table to signal staff when you need attention. This is a worthwhile place to start an evening on a casual encounter.