Pegu Club

I went here on a Saturday night and had such a great experience. I highly recommend this for anyone who is having a birthday party or some other type of gathering with a large group — I was able to make reservations the week before for a table of 12. No credit card was required and when I got there they let us sit down even though our whole party wasn’t there yet. Every interaction I had with the people who worked there was great. The person I spoke to in order to make reservations was very nice and polite. The waitress and person in coat check were super nice as well. The drinks are a bit pricey but it’s worth it for the environment. The bar area can get very crowded so I was very happy to have a table. The restroom was very clean too. The service at Pegu was absolutely great and I can’t wait to go back again sometime soon!

Came here on a Friday night with a larger group of girls (10?) for a reunion. Had to wait about 30 min for a table. Place has a cute décor– lounge vibe. Good drinks. Would def go back.

Let me start by saying (even though it’s already been said), get the Earl Grey Martini. You can thank me later.
I showed up here on a Thursday around 9:30pm with 6 friends and after a few minute wait (actually only a few minutes — 5 – 10) we were able to get a table. Right up by the bar was crowded, but there was room to spread out. The waitress was knowledgeable about the menu and most of us found a cocktail we wanted. They didn’t have any tequila-​based cocktails on the menu so one friend ordered a custom tequila-​based drink. We all loved our drinks, but the second round was exclusively made up of Earl Grey Martinis.
The crowd was late-​twenties to early-​thirties and was slightly mixed — some people were out for Thursday night shenanigans while others (my group included) had just come from the office. Don’t show up in jeans and flats, but you don’t need to be dressed to the nines.
There’s only 1 women’s bathroom but it’s kept nicely. All of the staff were really friendly. The bar is long but not wide, so I wouldn’t come with a group of 20 for a birthday party, etc., but up to ~10 is practical. I’ll definitely be back!

Yes it’s a winner. Laid back, low lit bar with great cocktails. Haven’t eaten the food but love this as a stop for a cheeky drink with friends. Great vibe.

I still can’t believe that it took me this long to make it to Pegu Club. For some reason, I had this vision of Pegu Club being a black tie place which always leg me in the direction of the other «famous» cocktail lounges.
I bit the bullet and showed up on a tuesday night and sat at the bar. We ordered a few cocktails off the menu, all of which were great. I also ordered two off the menu cocktails, which were absolutely phenomenal. The level of expertise of these bartenders is very impressive. The Jack Rose that I had here was THE best one that I’ve ever had. Also the «other» drink that I had that took 10 minutes to make absolutely blew me away. I would highly recommend this place!
The food here is also quite good.

Not much to add that hasn’t already been said… we dropped in early on a Saturday evening, and by 6:30 when we left I think the place was pretty full. The atmosphere is dark, comfortable seating with old jazzy music. The theme is British West Indies 1800sish. Service was polite and unassuming.
Cocktails are good… I had the Earl Grey Martini, my wife the Jamaican Firelfly… glad to check Earl Grey off the list, but wouldn’t need it again. Having said that, it was flavorful. We ate the deviled eggs… also pretty tasty.
This review is kind of boring… I get it… maybe that’s kind of my overall takeaway of Pegu Club.
Having said that; I’d go back… kinda weird…

Very dark but not romantic. Music was American songbook. Service at the bar was just a little slow. One of the two bartenders was washing and polishing glasses. I had a Pegu cocktail. I would order it again but just a minor variation on a sour.

Pegu Club gets its name and its cocktail concept from the late 1800s-​era British Colonial Officers’ Club located in Rangoon, Burma (modern-​day Yangon, Myanmar). The city is no longer known for its cocktail culture, but apparently back then, Rangoon barkeeps could mix a mean cocktail.
Upon entering, there’s a free coat check downstairs, complete with a friendly, chatty coat check guy. You go up two flights of stairs to get to the bar.
We were a group of 10, here for a friend’s birthday on a Saturday evening, and were easily accommodated even though we all filtered in at different times. Friends who had been here before highly recommended the Earl Grey MarTEAni (Earl Grey tea-​infused gin, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, egg white — $ 14), and I’m glad I accepted the recommendation as the drink was indeed fantastic. My second drink, the seasonal Black Pearl (Demerara rum, Jamaican rum, cherry liqueur, chamomile liqueur, Sweet Vermouth, Absinthe — $ 15), was even better. I tend to love cherry liqueurs in cocktails, but this was even better than I expected.
The décor is what you’d expect — clean, modern, minimalist, low lighting. The drinks have comely accoutrements. Everything exudes class.
Pegu Club is definitely near the top of my list of New York cocktail bars.

Great place. The bouncer and coat check guy were super friendly. I loved the Earl Grey MarTeani (lovely taste, spot on and not overpowering + doll name), gin & tonic (classic), and the Jamaican Firefly (great ginger taste for people who like ginger, my friend had to finish mine).
Went late on a Saturday night and was pretty crowded but not elbows in your face kind of way. Was surprised to be seated by the hostess immediately. The service was friendly, the ambiance is swanky without being pretentious (Ive got zero patience for that shit). All in all, a great lounge! Definitely visiting again soon. Soon as in tomorrow night.

Was here a few weeks ago… Place has been on the list of cocktail bars to try out. So glad we did. The mood is right… Décor is fancy and the hand crafted cocktails are great. Earl. Grey. Martini. Those other reviewers certainly know what they’re talking about. Listen up and get one. On a side note… If you’re the type who wants a tasty cocktail, but, also wants to complain about the $ 13 or so price tag… We’re in a big city — I’m sure you can find a bar within a 3 minute walk of Pegu Club that’ll throw some ‘syrup’, ‘mixers’ and Absolut in a glass for ya for $ 6. Cheers!

Fancy cocktail lounge, but the servers/​hosts aren’t pretentious like at some other speakeasy bars. Prices are a little steep of course — $ 15 – 18 standard. Their cocktail selection is okay but seems to more cater to the sweeter ladies’ palate than the woozy boozy gentleman’s drink.
Ambiance is very dark and date-​like; good place to have an intimate drink. Décor is modern Asiany — like a high-​end bar you would go to in Shanghai. Felt slightly dated even though it was a modern look though compared to some of the other swanky places in NYC. Maybe it’s because they’ve been here so long?
This place can also be good for big groups if you make a reservation — they have this row of tables they can put together and a big booth that are pleasing for crowds. Generally, much more comfy if you snag the right spot than most speakeasies.
Overall liked it! Had a great time.

Pegu Club has outstanding drinks and a dimly lit romantic atmosphere perfect for date night. We got a large couch all to ourselves and took our time relishing our yummy drinks and the great service we received. Highly recommended!

I have to say, when you enter Pegu Club, it feels kinda dingy and at first glance, doesn’t seem like a very well-​kept cocktail bar. However, after spending some time here, I really enjoyed everything and really ended up enjoying the ambiance. A good number of cocktail bars in Manhattan seem to sprout from Pegu Club alums, so I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Came for some celebratory cocktails post-​dinner on a Friday and we were able to find seats quickly for two.
Again, since we were in a bit of a celebratory mood, we tried a little bit of everything, starting with mostly the «classics,» so to say. Started off with the earl grey martini and the pineapple pisco sour. I really enjoyed the earl grey martini, and the hints of tea were so subtle yet so delicious, and not terribly sweet. The pineapple pisco sour was pretty good too, although a bit sweet for my own tastes. We also tried the whiskey smash, which was pretty strong, although not really the smash that was advertised. I’m a big whiskey fan, and I guess it didn’t really live up to my standards. However, I went with an old-​fashioned later on in the night, and it was quite excellent.
Service was a bit on the spottier side, but I guess we did come at a pretty busy time, so it’s more or less forgivable. Also, we saw a couple that was not happy with the quality of their drinks, and the bartenders were more than happy to replace them, which was very surprising. Prices are definitely on the more expensive side, but standard for a cocktail bar. You’d probably expect slightly nicer upholstery from a $ 14 cocktail joint, but it is what it is.
It got fairly rowdy as the night went on, so even though it started out as pretty chill, the vibe escalated pretty quickly. Nonetheless, I had a very good time, and I’ll likely be back for casual drinks, but I would avoid this place on weekends if you’re looking for a laid-​back place to hang out or have date night.

Oh so you have 800 reviews? Well, here’s another one. I have been here twice and it is one of the original speakeasy, craft cocktail bars in NY and I think this place is great, it’s super sophisticated, it’s spacious and I love the Jazz. The setup is very swanky and it feels like vintage Burma with the Mahogany wood to the windows. I really love the setup and it is an ideal place for a date, it also seems more of an adult place so come presentable. The drinks are so perfectly balanced and super smooth, they take so much time and effort to produce a quality product and it shows, unfortunately the price does too.
The drink:
Whiskey Smash– Rye Whiskey, muddled lemons & mint, simple syrup. It’s very similar to a Mint julep. I think I could drink 100 of these, not because they are low in alcohol content but because they are super smooth and very tasty. I thought this drink was very refreshing and I love the mint addition. I really enjoyed this.
Pegu Club– London Dry Gin, Angostura Bitters, orange bitters, orange Curaçao, fresh lime juice. This was a very tasty drink, it’s a easy drinking beverage and I liked what seemed like the hint of apricot.
Black Pearl– Demerara rum, Jamaican rum, cherry liqueur, chamomile liqueur, Sweet Vermouth, Absinthe. For me, it tasted like port but less intense. This was a nice beverage, it seemed like an sophisticated gentleman’s beverage.
Bitter Admiral– British Navy strength Gin, Campari, fresh grapefruit juice. Lol this was a super girlie drink, it was pink but surprisingly strong. The drink has a bitter finish from the grapefruit.

One word: AMAZING!!!
Came here for my last minute birthday treat. This is the best of the best cocktail lounge all the way. Makes the drinks to perfection. Love all their drinks but recommend Earl Grey Martini! Their foods are yummy and the ambient is a perfect balance of upscale and casual.
Will definitely be back again!

I love this place, my favorite bar in New York! The bartenders are great, the service is excellent. If you’re not sure what to order, just ask them and they’ll create something for you!
The last time I visited on a Saturday night, the were extremely packed, the bartender was extremely apologetic and gave us a round of drinks on the house to apologize for the service :).
Would definitely recommend

Holy crap. This is not just one of NYC’s best bars, it’s one of the best bars in the world. And I know this because I spent an embarrassingly long time here last week drinking till the sun was (almost) out. And then I spent the rest of the week visiting other world class bars and nothing compared to the level of service, quality of drinks, or ambience. No joke — this was the best of the very best.
Some bars are fun because they’re packed and loud and everyone who’s everyone is there. Other bars are fun because they’re quiet or divey. This bar is the perfect balance between classy/​upscale and casual with the right amount of noise and people. I could still hear my friends, I could still hear the music, but it was packed till 4am on the weekend. You feel cool just being here.
Another reason they’re a step above for me is because they’re the pavers of cocktail culture. This bar has been around and at the top of its game for 10+ years. I heard a rumor that even learning to make a daiquiri perfectly is something the owner Audrey teaches her staff for up to two years! They take making perfect drinks perfectly serious and the result is that you get the best drink and the best experience.
A lot of other NYC cocktail bars are small and quaint and this one is a beast! You don’t have to come here with just 1 or 2 people, there’s plenty of room for a whole group! I was here with 2 friends and it was such a magical night because I came all the way from Seattle and in walked another Seattle friend who I had no idea was also in town. Imagine that? But as fans of cocktails and great bars, it ended up being no huge surprise we were both there because, well, DUH — Pegu club is amazing. I will literally never come to NYC again without coming here.

Summary:
I don’t know what it is about bars that get featured on TV shows… This place used to have a cool factor but once it was featured on a TV show, it lost all its luster. Gone downhill very quickly into banality. Purely meh…
Atmosphere:
The spot is on the second floor and is a long space with plentiful seating. The crowd is a mix of newbies, B&T, and tourists, nothing special. Never have I seen this place «hoppin» or overly crowded. I noticed a birthday party going on so might be a decent enough spot for that if you can’t score a table anywhere else in the area.
Drinks:
Fairly boring here. I ordered the Golden Dawn which tasted something awful and very plain. My friend’s drink wasn’t anything special. What happened to the mixology here?
Service:
Friendly enough. The bartenders are actually very professional and not douchey, so that’s good. No complaints with the service, it’s what keeps this place up.
Tips:
I would just walk a few blocks further east or north for something cooler.

Alte Cocktail Bar.
Man wurde denken in den 70er stehen geblieben.
Aber mal den Pinsel. konnte man schwingen.
Liegt am Rande von SoHo.
Haben es im Flieger im Delta Programm gesehen
Es ist nicht schlecht aber hält auch nicht gru.
Leider

Alex B recommended this place to me and I couldn’t be more grateful to him because this place is awesome.
My evening started off in my hotel room where I was debating if I should go out or not. It was already 11pm and I was exhausted. Plus, I wasn’t up for exploring a new neighborhood via subway and foot so late in the day but didn’t want to pay $$$ for taxis. But #yolo, and I went for it. I started out at Employees Only after a quick $ 12 taxi ride. After trying to order a drink for 10 minutes and failing, I left on foot to come to Pegu Club, only a few short blocks away.
It wasn’t very busy (thank goodness!) and I grabbed a seat at the bar. Immediately I was given some water and a cocktail menu, and I knew right away that I needed to try their signature Pegu Club cocktail. It was an excellent choice. Since I planned to have just one more drink, I asked the bartender for his opinion. Before I knew it, I was sipping on my second one — the earl grey martini — and talking to him about what should be my third. This time, he made me something that wasn’t on the menu and it was my favorite. I should reiterate that the first two menu cocktails were outstanding. This third drink started out with a scotch rinse and I think it was bitters and St. Germaine.
The vibe here is very classy. Aside from bar seating, there are small tables along the wall with intimate lighting. At the bar you can witness the art of bartending. There’s a small food menu and nothing caught my fancy. That’s okay though because this place is definitely one that you come to for the drinks!
I could have stayed for another few hours but I was getting hungry and the food I was craving was over in Koreatown. So, after asking for my check, the bartender made us a nightcap of something wonderful (how cool is it that the bartenders can drink on the clock here?!) and I was on my merry way.
This is at the top of my list when I visit New York again.

People call this a speakeasy, but I think it’s just a cocktail bar. A very hip, trendy, stylish cocktail bar with a crowd to match. It’s the bar that you take people to impress.
It was quite crowded when we got there after dinner, so we had to hover a bit around the bar. Luckily, the really friendly bartender spotted us right away and got us menus. Not long after, the guy sitting in front of me whom I was trying not to overcrowd offered me his seats, as he was leaving. Score!
The menu has a lot of cool-​sounding cocktails, so it was tough to choose, but I settled on the French Pearl and the Champagne Apricato. The French Pearl was light and sweet, but my favorite of the two was definitely the Champagne Apricato, which was so crisp and fruity and refreshing. Plus, it came with a flower — points for presentation.
The bartender was doing a whole dramatic show of making drinks, which I found quite entertaining. At one point he gave us a free shot for accidentally splashing a little water near us, which was very considerate. All in all, a cool spot for a date or to catch up with friends.

My husband and I stopped over at Pegu Club just after having dinner at Estela last week. We had just visited Raines Law Room the night before, so in the interest of trying new things, we thought that Pegu Club seemed to fit right in. I had one of the champagne cocktails (La Fleur de Paradis?) that had elderflower in it. It was definitely on the sweet side, so be warned, it’s not for someone who hates sweet drinks. My husband had the traditional Pegu Club and we sat and took in the crowd at a small table by the window. We got there fairly early and by the time we left around 10ish, the bar area was definitely packed. Service wise, our waitress was nice and was within the vicinity in case we needed anything. The coat check guy was insanely nice too. This was definitely a great (and trendy) place to go, especially if you’re there for the scene and good cocktails.

Pegu Club
NY: Manhattan: SoHo
10pm Saturday 7^th November 2014
Four Stars
We walked upstairs and filed into the crowded center bar. I ordered a couple Rye Whiskey Sours. They were simple, elegant, and very well crafted. The Bartender knew his stuff. The atmosphere was upscale but still had plenty of energy. The bathroom doors in the back slide instead of opening inward or outward.

In town and randomly found this place. I could not have been anymore lucky, what a great place with a friendly helpful staff. I may have been spoiled as it was a mellow off evening or I was just early. Try everything twice.
Can’t wait to go back

Eine Treppe geht es hinauf und man befindet sich in einer anderen Zeit. Im Kolonialstil ist die Bar eingerichtet, in mehrere Räume unterteilt.
Der Bartresen ist von beachtlicher Größe und die Spirituosen dahinter sagen dem Barfly: Hier bleibt kein Wunsch unerfüllt!
Selbstverständlich bestellt man als ersten Drink einen Pegu Club, nach dem sich der Ort nennt. Ein alter Klassiker, der endlich auch in Deutschland wiederentdeckt wird.
Sehr aufmerksame Barkeeper, die absolut sorgfältig mixen. Auch kann man sich hier gute Tipps für weitere vielversprechende Cocktailexpeditionen in NY holen.
Eigenkreationen, Fachwissen, sorgfältigst sortierte Spirituosen. Hier verbringe ich meine Happy Hours and hours and hours.