Classic Cocktails at the Baccarat Hotel

Feel Like a Princess from the Moment You Enter the Baccarat Hotel

Slip into the black-walled vestibule of the Baccarat Hotel on West 53rd Street, and you’ll be tempted to look for a talking, singing candelabra. It’s all high ceilings and mirrors and crystal chandeliers, which will both leave you wondering if you are in the right place and looking for more characters from Beauty and the Beast. An elevator whisks these visitors to the second floor, where we are aiming for the bar—a few cocktails with friends in a civilized setting on a particular Saturday afternoon.

The Bashful Adventurer in New York City: A very special apricot sour at the Baccarat Hotel. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini. — A very special apricot sour at the Baccarat Hotel. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.

The Bar at the Hotel Baccarat is a sweet throwback to an earlier time, when everyone dressed well and drank more. Crystal chandeliers abound here as well, and an outdoor terrace beckons some. We prefer the air-conditioned relief of cocktails in coolness.

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A spicy, pink, and floral cocktail at the Baccarat Hotel. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini.

I start with an Opus ($28), made from Bird Eye Chili-Infused Illegal Joven Mezcal, Cointreau Prickly Pear, Lime, and Agave with a Himalayan Pink Salt Rim. Somehow, I think it will taste like a margarita. It does not. It is spicy and pretty and pink, though. I follow that with a L’Abricot Sour ($42) made with Remy Martin 1738 Cognac, L’Abricot du Roulot Apricot Liqueur, Lemon, Angustora & Peychauds Bitters—and it comes with treats. Accompanying one very special apricot sour are an apricot/saffron macaron, a cognac truffle, and a white chocolate and pistachio-dipped apricot. This classic cocktail is pricey and decadent and absolutely delightful. After all, how often does one get to visit what some have described as one of the best hotels in the world?