Theater District-goers can now enjoy Dear Irving on Broadway, where it offers its usual array of delicious cocktails and bar snacks
Iconic New York cocktail bar Dear Irving has opened its third outpost, Dear Irving on Broadway. Located at the edge of Manhattan’s Theater District, the cocktail bar pays homage to its neighborhood through an imaginative cocktail menu, fare inspired by city classics, and two distinctive bars. The space is helmed by Bar Director and Partner Meaghan Dorman and features interiors conceptualized by design expert Delphine Mauriot.
The bar’s entrance at 54th and Broadway features a large black-and-white theater marquee – a nod to the early days of film. From there, a glass elevator brings guests to the fifth floor, a space alive with bright colors and a celebratory ambiance, alluding to the advent of technicolor motion pictures. Further playing into the bar’s Theater District location, the team will offer food and drink specials from open to close on Sundays, providing performers with a place to unwind. Special Wednesday hours that correspond with matinee shows will also be unveiled.
Drinks
Bar Director Meaghan Dorman’s drinks menu comprises 16 cocktails, broken into six categories. New for Broadway includes the “Gibson Gang,” a collection of pickle and preserve-fueled recipes led by Dorman’s most-iconic Martini variation, as well as the “Empire State Spirit,” featuring Dear Irving’s a Jaywalk Rye-fueled whiskey smash riff and other mixes crafted using ingredients hailing from New York. Returning favorites, zero-proof libations, and a curated collection of wine, beer, and cider are also on offer.
Dear Irving on Broadway cocktails include:
- Gibbie Highball – Fords Gin, Macchu Pisco, jasmine, verjus, London essence peach & jasmine soda, pickled grapes
- Grand Central Smash – Jaywalk Rye, Matchbook Strawberry Amaro, Mint leaves, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup
- Xantolo – Madre Mezcal, reposado tequila, aleppo spiced pineapple juice, lime juice
- Deacon Blues – Old Forester Signature Bourbon, Del Maguey Vida Puebla, black pepper, vanilla syrup
- The Victor Was Written – Sir Davis Straight Rye, Kings County Peated Bourbon, chicory pecan bitters, salted Tupelo honey
- Jasmine Cooler – jasmine, mint, verjus, lemon, club soda
“Celebrating New York’s history and creatives, this new outpost is meant to express our gratitude to the city that has been so good to us over the last decade,” says Dorman. “The Theater District is the heart of Manhattan, and as an ode to the ties between hospitality and theater, we’ve tapped a few notable hospitality workers-turned-performers to collaborate on our opening menu. In the ‘My Regards to Broadway’ section, guests will find post-show cocktail recommendations from friends and former colleagues including Sherz Aletaha (recently in Merrily We Roll Along) and Joanna Carpenter (recently in Sweeney Todd).”
Food
The Dear Irving on Broadway food menu features elevated plays on classic New York street eats, deli staples, and theater snacks. Created by longtime YJRG Executive Chef Franco Barrio, the largely handheld menu comprises a selection of new and existing nibbles and small plates, including the Rock Shrimp Tempura. Dishes include:
- Golden Kaluga Caviar Roll – cultured butter, toasted challah, crème fraiche
- The Pretzel – Bronx Pale Ale and sharp cheddar, spicy mustard
- Broadway Hot Dog – choices of bacon wrapped, cornichon relish, crispy potatoes, butter brioche
- Au Poivre Sliders – wagyu beef patty, pancetta chip, clothbound cheddar, au poivre sauce
- Pastrami Sandwich – house smoked pastrami, dijon mustard, annelies, house pickles, challah
Design
Collaborators Delphine Mauriot and Chris Bidmead, founders of design agency DMDesign and bar consultancy Bar Methods, looked to create a a time-traveling effect through the space via thoughtful architecture and decor. Guests are transported to the 1930s, a period where theater and live performance were used as a means of escaping the Great Depression’s hardships. Taking inspiration from Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley and 2022’s Babylon, Dear Irving on Broadway delivers a sleek and polished appearance, with pops of color in the form of dramatic curtains, velvet upholstery, playful wallpaper patterns, and mirrored surfaces.
Stepping off the elevator, guests enter a lounge space with black marble flooring, maroon banquettes, and iridescent ceilings. Behind a set of sheer pink curtains lies a rectangular bar featuring marble countertops, a hanging bottle shelf, and a golden chandelier centerpiece. Just beyond the focal bar is a floor-to-ceiling painting by muralist Adeline Jadot, titled, “Cirque du Freak-A-Leek,” which employs vibrant colors and circus imagery. For an added bit of storytelling, the back hallway hosts a series of classic cocktail vignettes built into a millwork library, paying homage to popular Dear Irving recipes of the last decade.
Dear Irving on Broadway Terrace
Outside, guests are welcomed to a spacious pergola bar, complete with plenty of seating by way of cushioned armchairs and large orange sofas. This secondary space features louvers and glass partitions, which can be closed off to host private events or opened to bolster indoor capacity. Beyond the pergola is an outdoor terrace offering greenery and an expansive “theater view” of the neighborhood.
“Ten years after opening our original Gramercy location and almost six years after our first expansion, we look forward to bringing the Dear Irving experience to even more people, retaining the brand’s signature creativity and exceptional service in a new setting,” says YJRG Managing Partner Yves Jadot. “The post-Great Depression 1930s, a time when people leaned on entertainment as a form of escapism, serves as the inspiration for Dear Irving on Broadway. Plans for our third location had been in the works prior to the pandemic, and it feels beyond timely to bring this concept to life in the wake of another collective hardship.”
Dear Irving on Broadway offers 100 indoor seats and 100 pergola and terrace seats. It is located at 1717 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. It is open from 4pm to 12am on Sunday through Tuesday, 4pm till 1am on Wednesday, and 4pm to 2am Friday and Saturday. For more information or to make a reservation, head over to the official website.
