Saturday, Sept. 25th, 2010—Bar 258

Day 258—Friday, September 24th, 2010
Bar Pleiades (Originally headed for Bemelmans Bar In the Carlyle Hotel)
Okay, last Friday went so well at Sir Harry’s in the Waldorf Plaza, I thought I’d try another famous hotel bar. Bemelman’s Bar is named after Ludwig Bemelmans, the writer and illustrator of chidren’s books, most notably the Madeline series. The bar features a mural of Madeline and her friends in Central Park which is the only surviving Bemelmans open to the public. Alright, tidy yourself up and it’s off to the posh walls of Bemelmans Bar. Tally ho and all that jazz.

And here we are, the Carlyle Hotel. Now it's off to find the bar.

And here it is, Bemelmans Bar. Kooky!

Holy shitballs, it's packed in here. Three deep at the bar and this guy's red shirt just burned out my left retina. Time to move on.

Time for a lonely walk on the Upper East Side.

Okay, here's another hotel, let's see what their bar scene is like.

Motherfucker, it's packed in here too. And these people look like asshole people. Time to keep moving on.

But one block away I spy this sign.

It's a bar in the Surrey Hotel. Let's keep our eyes crossed that this place isn't packed.

Yes! A dark, candle-lit bar with plenty of open seats. Looks like we're home.

And George the friendly bartender is happy to mix up a well-deserved drink. While I usually opt out for a beer, Bar Pleiades is a cocktail bar, so when in Rome: Rome, Rome Rome your boat...or something like that.

I ordered a cocktail called, The Fortune Teller and George expertly mixed it up. Here he puts the final flouish on the drink.

And here's the drink in all its glory. It was delicious!

A shot of the well-stocked bar.

The candle-lit lounge area opposite the bar.

There's lots of table and banquettes in the back of the bar.

Meanwhile back at the bar, bar manager Cameron serves up a beer to cleanse the pallette between cocktails.

Bar snacks!

A long shot of the bar. Hey, who's that down there?

It's Cameron's cute girlfriend, Katie enjoying a glass of wine.

The bar closes at midnight, so it's time for last call.

I ordered the drink called "P's and Q's" at Cameron's suggestion. Here George expertly mixes it up.

The drink is named after Cameron's friend, Paul Quin. To Paul Quin! Cheers, everyone and goodnight, everybody.

Review
Bar Pleiades located in the luxurious Surrey Hotel on the Upper East Side. The bar is dark, black and white and candle-lit, making it a perfect place for a first or second date or a late night rendezvous. There’s a lounge area opposite the bar with comfortable couches, chairs and tables and more tables and an open area with tables and banquettes in the back of the bar.

The drink menu is designed by bar manager extraordinaire, Cameron Bogue. Bar Pleiades is a cocktail bar and some of the specialties here include: the Fortune Teller which mixes Reposado tequila, lillet blanc, honey, cardamom and Chinese 5 spice grilled lemon; the Cornucopia which is made up of gin, kirsch, lemon, apricot and sage; the Beijing Mule which is saffron roasted pear infused vodka yuzu and house fermented ginger beer and the Ps & Qs which is bonded rye, cocchi americano, amer picon, cherry bark and vanilla bitters. There’s also a bar menu with offerings such as: Market Oysters, Crispy Prawns, Charred Octopus Salad and Beef Sliders.

Bar Pleiades
20 E. 76th St. (@Madison Ave.)
212-772-2600

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And now a video for Jaws (Fire up a martini and enjoy, Jaws!)

Comments

[Gidget]

Awesome marty.
Third time is the CHARM!
I love bouncebacks like this..

[Al]

Friday nites are hell in the big city,,right? Everyone and their brother is out drinking. Great that you found a quiet place. Fortune Teller cocktail looks great. Hey,,,The Carlyle and The Mark are great NY hotels with top notch bars. Myself I would send you back to The Waldorf's Bull and Bear, because its closed in and apart from the restaurant,,,,and dark with wood paneling too. I also liked Harry's New York bar at the Park Lane Hotel,,,a real old NY bar,,,(unless they remodeled it). Pleaides was a little too empty of humans,,,but I understand how frustrating it could be trying to do your thing with standing room only. All in all you did a great job as usual. KOC!

[Barfly]

I agree with Gidget! I love how you keep going till you find the perfect bar for the night. The cocktails and beer look great! Nice low-key and low-lit bar.

[JHwang Love's ZioumZioum]

Nice & Dark in there , & very few people for friday night , cool to get a drink after work & not be bothered , my kind of friday night bar .

I never understood the whole P's & Q's phrase , & it's meaning , anyway since this is a bar crawl , I guess it's Pints & Quarts .

[Jaws the Cabbie]

Crispy prawns...crispy prawns...CRISPY PRAWNS..,.SOLD!! Great menu, looks pricey in there though, hmmm...wanna try that fortune teller cocktail...ah here it comes...take a sip...wait there's a vision comming...wait...what do I see...LITTLE PINK OOMPA LOOMPAS!!! MY GOD, THEY WERE LYING IN WAIT FOR ME ALL THIS TIME!!!! NO...NOOOOOO...WAAAAAUUUUGH!!!

[365 Beers]

I just added a video for you Jaws, have a martini or twelve before you watch it, though.

[Gidget]

I always watch Oompa loompas and think i've found my people.

[Jaws the Cabbie]

@ 365 ....WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!

[Tim Clack is gonna drink the tip money!!]

@365: Reminded me of when C3PO is being built and doesn't have any eyes..."Where is everybody?"
or that scene in the Shining where Jack goes for a drink in the ballroom and the place is deserted.
Nice bounce back as usual but just a little quiet.

[365 Beers]

@Tim Clack: That Shining scene is great, I love Lloyd the bartender and funny enough, we were talking about that at the bar tonight!

[raginrr]

boy those cocktails certainly looked very drinkable...when i saw their ingredients they sounded very drinkable...although way above my pay scale another great stop on the crawl...KOC

rr

[kari]

Those are some fancy sounding cocktails, but since I have a pleiades tattoo, I would definitely have to check this place out. Nice and dark, even if not my taste of decor. Helps hide that.

[Biff]

I'm just impressed they have free olives! Nice digs. I'll have to hit it some night when I'm feeling fancy (that's what he said).

[Zioum Zioum The Chainsaw]

I never understood what means P's and Q's either! I looked on web but it was confused... But anyway, if one of my student asks the question, I can answer it is the name of a cocktail at the Pleiade Bar in NYC !! haha
is what you call "amer picon" IS the "french picon" that coocoo in northest France normally put in their beers?? I hate picon!! And at AB bar, the boss always try to put some in your beer to piss you of! Also because it can make you being drunk faster... Well, one time he put some in my McEwans, and I got so drunk that Grompf had to bring me back home and going to try to pee, I finally fell asleep on my toilets!! LOL ... I HATE PICON !!!!

Cheers!

[Tiki Bar Susie]

Hey, I have stayed at the Carlyle and been in that bar many times. It is a very small bar...

George is quite handsome and he makes excellent drinks. You happened upon quite a cool place there Marty and I love the decor. It seems quite spacious as well. Very cool!

[365 Beers]

@Tiki Bar Susie: I'm going to try to go back to the Carlyle bar on a Monday or Tuesday when hopefully it's slower in there.