• The Pegu Club

  77 W. Houston St., 212-473-7348

  This new drinkers’ hangout in Soho is named after the original Pegu Club, a British officers’ hangout run by starchy Englishmen at the turn of the last century, in old Rangoon. The new millennial version of the lethal Pegu Club Cocktail (comprising dry London gin, curaçao, several kinds of bitters, and fresh lime juice) may be almost as good as the one served in King Edward’s day, but we guarantee the bar food is better. There are all sorts of savories to choose from, like deviled eggs mixed with smoked trout, curried mayonnaise, and a hint of chutney, and the profoundly tasty “Sloppy Duck,” a sticky-sweet barbecue confection of smoked pulled duck served on a toasted potato brioche bun. Get these treats à la carte at the swanky bar or served together, with Edwardian delicacy, on a multitiered tea tray.

From the 2006 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine