SoHo is the first neighborhood in New York City to have an actual acronym as its official name, SoHo being short for "south of Houston Street." The boundaries of SoHo are Houston Street in the north, Canal Street in the south and West Broadway and Crosby Streets on either side. This neighborhood has exceedingly well-respected art galleries, fashionable boutiques and cutting edge restaurants. It also has many distinctive bars.
The Pegu Club is a bar on West Houston Street in the heart of SoHo. According to the bar's official web site, the club is based on an original Pegu Club from the 1800s which was located near the gulf of Martaban in Burma and existed as a British officer's club. The web site states that the present Pegu Club is not an attempt to duplicate the predecessor's physical structure, but to "...preserve the craft of a well-made drink through thoughtful preparation and respectful methodology." The bartenders squeeze lemon, lime, grapefruit and orange juices by hand and use small bottles of fresh soda water, rather than using soda guns. Each table comes with its own small cocktail condiment tray of lemon and lime juice, simple syrup and bitters, for those who like to tweak their cocktails.
The Pegu Club
77 W Houston St.
New York, NY 10012
212-473-7348
www.peguclub.com
Soho 323 is on Broadway between Canal and Grand Street, across from the famous SoHo Grand Hotel. The bar is sparsely decorated with wooden interiors, artwork on the walls and original furniture. The bar often offers free sushi at happy hour and there's a DJ from Thursday to Saturday so guests can dance in the upstairs lounge. On weekends, there is a $15 cover for entrance. Offering patrons a range of carefully mixed cocktails, the bar has many unique maki rolls and other Japanese influenced dishes.
Soho 323
323 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013
212-334-2232
Named after William Burroughs' noteworthy book, Naked Lunch, this dark SoHo bar has a reputation for serving good drinks and playing good music. The bar boasts a cocktail named after the creator of the novel, called "The Burroughs", which features a 12-year Dalmore Scotch Whiskey, blueberry syrup and cherry bitters. Another drink, named after the legendary city where the bar resides, is called "The Big Apple," a combination of Makers Mark with sweet Vermouth, cherry bitters, pomegranate molasses and a slice of apple. The DJ plays hip hop, 80's classics and R&B. In one corner of the establishment sits an antique Remington typewriter as homage to Mr. Burroughs.
Naked Lunch
17 Thompson St.
New York, NY 10013
212-343-0828
www.nakedlunchnyc.com
