Terra N.
Yelp
Stick to beer. New York City can simultaneously be the epicenter of American bartending and the embarrassment of the industry all at once. It is places like this that ruin and confuse everyone's idea of what a martini is.
Our server was kind but clearly off put by how polite we were. My partner ordered a dirty gin martini. I knew it wouldn't be part of the 'happy hour martinis' they had listed. She clearly didn't know what questions to ask and perhaps was new because she went up to another seasoned employee who told her to come back and ask my partner what gin he wanted. He said "Tanqueray and if not Beefeater."
We waited a while for our first and only round of drinks. And to my horror, I heard the shaking of ice, gin, and vermouth. And to confirm my instinct, it was sure enough his "dirty martini."
Mind you when we receive the bill, they charged us for Hendrick's gin with other up charges making it an $18 martini. Hendrick's must be their top shelf and an added shock to know that it was dirtied with olive brine AND SHAKEN. My partner kept me from saying anything. I even walked over to the side of the bar where the gins are kept, and there it was, Tanqueray.
I figured this review will be an option for full staff education.
Ask two questions when someone orders a martini:
- Gin or Vodka?
- Olives or Twist?
Other terms:
Dry: understandably confusing do you mean you want vermouth or no vermouth. A martini will have vermouth. If you don't want vermouth, just order your liquor straight and with you garnish choice.
Dirty: with olive brine
That's it.
Sure many tourists come through here and you don't know who you will get. As a fellow industry person, I know yelp reviews mean very little for a tough industry. But this has left me upset for days now.
I hope the server learns the basics of what spirits are sold, I hope the server who was training or guiding her learns that the scam of top shelf works on your most novice (not me), and that the young bartender learns to stir a delicate spirit like gin.
My recommendation is for everyone to go to the Woo Woo just a couple blocks up. They are actually paying tribute to the history of Times Sq and not scamming tourists out of every dollar that can be got. We get it, living in NYC is tough, but you need to remember that tourists are helping pay your rent just as much. My time is money too, so learn what you actually have and sell it. But maybe that's the managers fault for not educating staff. Or perhaps my fault for going to a place that advertises Martinis in the following options: cosmo, lemon drop, or whatever 90s bartending embarrassment. I'm sure they will continue to hustle and smile and up charge whenever they can.
But hey what goes around, comes around.
