The Dead Rabbit
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“This place is amazing for old-fashioned cocktails.”In 42 reviews -
“I will definitely be back to try the Parlour Room upstairs.”In 51 reviews -
“...and was pleasantly surprised to find a nice bar in Financial District.”In 15 reviews
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Helen T.
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"Warning, I am only giving it 4 stars based on the salad bar, which is
what I usually get as a main meal. They have a very good and fresh salad
bar that they always replenish that includes fresh and pickled…"
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I had one of the best bar experiences of my life here. TRUE bartenders who believe in the art of a cocktail. Such care is taken with each drink.
The bottom level is a "bar". Mainly standing room only.
If you can get upstairs it is the opposite. They will not allow you to stand. It is the "speakeasy" part. Very very very cool up there. My buddy's drink was served in a china teacup with a mustache guard. Never seen it before.
Unbelievable service. Stellar drinks.
Did I say very cool? -
- Monisha T.
- Manhattan, NY
- 23 friends
- 29 reviews
This place was a lot of fun - it's a shame you can't make reservations but we were able to get a table upstairs in about ten minutes.
I really liked the hostess' intro to the place and the fact that the drinks are all historical/fit the historical time period up until 1908. There was no vodka or tequila for that reason (there were a few mezcal cocktails on the seasonal menu, but that's it). Also, beer and wine is on request so they have it, it's just not a feature.
The hype about the cocktail book is true - it's really extensive but the staff is super helpful in helping pick a drink based on what you like, etc. I got the apple blossom (my favorite) and the peach blow fizz. We also got a complimentary taste of a punch which was really yummy!
The ambiance is really unique for downtown - it's sort of English pub meets speakeasy feel (with the teacups and low lighting, etc.). The food menu is not huge but it is delish. We got the chips with dips (don't forget the that chips here are fries!) which was awesome. The curry chutney is really really good. I also got the mini shepherds pies, which were ADORABLE and yummy - they were three tiny "pies" in dishes so it was actually like a meal for me but could easily be shared as an appetizer.
Overall this place was really good but I had a friend who was a total cocktail junky and he taught me something I'll never forget but that this place clearly did - the ice makes the drink. My apple blossom was served in a martini glass with a large chunk of ice. The first half of the drink was really fantastic - but by the last few sips it had been watered down. I'll bet anything that if they used a different ice (or no ice and just shook it to get it cool) that wouldn't have happened. My only complaint.
I would definitely go back and recommend this place. -
- Sophie P.
- Boston, MA
- 52 friends
- 24 reviews
Our group definitely wanted to check this place out after all the awards it has won.
What I ordered:
Perfect lady royale
Pimms No. 1 cup
I really like citrusy drinks that taste light and refreshing. The perfect lady royale tasted like a sweet lemon mojito and it was a great drink to start the night off.
The Pimms was less citrusy because of the cucumber slices, but this was a really good drink also.
We were there on a Sunday night so the upstairs wasn't open. We stood along the back wall, where there were coat hangers under the table. My coat was really long, so beware if you have a long coat - the floor is filled with wood shavings, which I thought was worn out paint. They got all over my coat so I ended up just holding it instead.
The drinks were good, but I don't get all the hype. Maybe it's for an older crowd? Or maybe I ordered the wrong drinks. -
- Christopher K.
- East Brunswick, NJ
- Elite ’13
- 225 friends
- 262 reviews
I must be in a good mood, because this is the second 5-star review I'm writing today. And the Dead Rabbit deserves a solid five. This bar just became my favorite place to have a grown-up cocktail in all of Manhattan.
Not sure why I like it so much. You've seen this formula before, most notably in places like Williamsburg, Brooklyn -- expensive but delicious, well-made cocktails, expertly mixed with the very best of ingredients in a speakeasy-like setting. For some reason, the Dead Rabbit just feels like the real deal, and there's no pretentiousness in the service that you sometimes see in other places like this.
Perhaps another standout feature is the food. Lots of small plates, perfect for sharing, and it's all super-delicious. I highly recommend the grilled lamb chops and the mini shepherd's pies. They were both excellent.
Every table gets its own cocktail book, which is professionally printed and branded by the Dead Rabbit. Pretty much anything you can think of is in there. That, in addition to a great list of in-house cocktail specials and you have pretty much all the bases covered.
For me though, much as I enjoy trying some of these interesting concoctions they offer, I still always come back to my all-time favorite: a rye Manhattan, up. Here, you don't have to specify stirred, because the excellent mixologists of the Dead Rabbit know this already. Antica vermouth and their own homemade bitters allow their Manhattan to stand out from the pack, making it the current king of cocktail bars for yours truly.
Love it here. -
- Anthony B.
- San Francisco, CA
- 156 friends
- 68 reviews
One of my new favourites that has made it into top 10 for the world. Downstairs has a cool pub vibe that's more geared for small groups of friends to toss back pints and pints of ice cold guinness before you switch to go upstairs after getting properly pissed.
Upstairs opens at 5pm, and you need to be there right on time as the place fills up faster than you anticipate. The food is a posh version of what you would order in England: Bangers and mash, chips, and mini shepherds pies, but the real magic is through the very creative and amazingly well executed cocktails they serve. Oh, and these cocktails, they're in a 50 page book. That many damned delicious cocktails. Countless. Bliss. -
This bar is almost too cool for the Financial District. Great cocktails (with even more amazing variety on the 2nd floor menu), great food, and great service all in one place. It may be a pain to get to, but on the flip side it doesn't seem to get too crowded, even on Friday/Saturday nights.
Hint: 3rd floor has some tables which are great for groups of 4-6. -
- Sandy P.
- Marina Del Rey, CA
- 241 friends
- 133 reviews
I was told this was one of NYC's best bars..now i know why. It was only appropriate that i left NYC on this closing note. It was a night for the books. A wonderful experience. I'm appreciative of the staff who situated us in a cozy corner; it felt as if the world was ours and we were the only two ppl there.. I loved the recommended drinks, they do know their alcohol. Definitely a great date place, easy soothing music to wrap up the week if you've had a long rough week..music wasn't too loud that you couldn't talk, it was just perfect.. Though i will say the scotch egg wasn't very good at all. I've had these in Hawaii and they made it much better. But other than that, it was simply an unforgettable time at the Dead Rabbit. Interesting name for a parlor, one that i want to go back to again and again.. -
The decor of the Dead Rabbit is exactly the type of bar I flock to. The atmosphere is the kind that will keep me coming back: Friendly, with good music and delicious cocktails.
I'd highly recommend the Perfect Lady Royale: Ketel One Citron vodka, Crème de Peche, fresh lemom, fresh mint, Prosecco, lemon oils.
They have tons of other really wonderful drinks as well; you could never be bored.
The food is fairly inexpensive (unlike the drinks). Get yourself some oysters and the steak toast and you're sure to have a nice visit. -
- Jamie K.
- New York, NY
- 0 friends
- 16 reviews
My new favorite NYC bar! I'd give them six stars if I could.
My strolled in here on a rainy Sunday afternoon to find the place much busier than I would of expected for this part of town at that time.
I really liked the decor. Black and White photographs line the ceiling of the narrow, nicely lit bar. The sawdust on the floor adds a great touch. When I first arrived, the bartender asked my name, told me his (Daniel) and used my name again while I was there - a first for me in a NYC bar.
I had the Usquaebach bottled punch which was delicious. It was perfectly sweet and the nutmeg they sprinkle on top was excellent. I never have high hopes for bar food and rarely order it, but the ambience at Dead Rabbit made me look forward to my meal. They didn't disappoint. I had the chicken pot pie which I really enjoyed. Everything was well done from the flaky crust to the tasty broth.
To top it all off, the bathroom was spotless.
Save that stool in the back of the bar for me - I'll be back. -
- Alexander M.
- New York, NY
- Elite ’13
- 132 friends
- 403 reviews
Dead Rabbit came highly recommended to me by a friend whose opinion on bars I value highly. Frequently packed on weeknights, this is prob the shmanciest bar this side of Chambers Street. Aim for a seat at the bar as the bartenders are very friendly and mix your drink very carefully in front of you. The sawdust on the floor gives the place an old West saloon type feel. The upstairs is supposed to be where the real fun is (sit-down tables, food, etc) but we didn't make it up there. Also want to come back to do a lil grocery shopping.
Lower East Side speakeasy vibe meets Wall Street. -
- Lawrence O.
- New York, NY
- 0 friends
- 5 reviews
One of the best bars in the financial district. If you have the chance, visit! -
Alright, I do not get the hype surrounding this place. First and foremost, you would expect this place to have at least a decent beer list, not one below par for NYC. Grant it, not every place has to have an eye catching and palette expanding notable list, but if you just hear: bud, bud lite, amstel light, and heineken, it is pretty disappointing for somewhere that has this much attention. Plus my Heineken was skunked. Next, the wine was undrinkable. I have never seen my lady friend send anything back until now. The mixed drink was good.
Food. It was very good and way overpriced. Scotch egg squeaked by for being the best I have ever had. $9 for one egg. Come on now. Other places you get 2x more for that price. Zucchini fritters were equally as good. The highlight of the meal were the mini shepherds pies. The three little ramekins were excellent with delicious inners and excellent smashed potatoes on top.
On the weekend you will be surrounded by loud recent college grads that think drinking downtown is the coolest thing ever with their buds from Fordham, Temple, and Boston.
The service was overworked, but still sweet.
Even though I am completely over the creative custom cocktail scene, I believe I have covered the beer, wine, cocktails, and food thoroughly. I did notice that they have a number of accolades on their website and will probably return one more time to give more of their cocktails a go and maybe re-review. -
- Alex M.
- Raleigh, NC
- 6 friends
- 1 review
I visited The Dead Rabbit late on a Sunday night when my friend and I wanted somewhere local for food and a night cap. The bar area was completely full when we walked in, while other places we had popped in earlier in FIDI were dead. The atmosphere is trendy, cozy and oh-so-British, but not at all in a cheesy way. There was great live music, which they have every Sunday. I ordered the shepherds pie and my friend ordered the chips, which came with mayo, catsup and curry. Both were super tasty. The staff was very friendly and helpful and everyone there had a smile on their face. The upstairs is closed on Sundays but I hear it's neat. Nothing but positive things to say about this place-- will definitely go back! -
- Mary L.
- Financial District, Manhattan, NY
- 15 friends
- 9 reviews
Extremely well-crafted cocktails with interesting ingredients. Skimpy on the egg whites, but drinks had just the right amount of alcohol--not too strong but still with a palpable kick.
Very crowded right after work during dinner hours, but if you're willing to find a place and stand, then it's not too bad as patrons are usually polite and say excuse me when passing. A bit loud, but not impossible to hear.
Not sure why it's called the dead rabbit, but it's definitely a palimpsest of culture. -
Shortly after taking up cocktail-making at home, my enthusiasm for cocktail bars waned, this being so despite limiting my bar circuit to the highest tier of quality. A recent visit to Toronto's interesting Barchef reinforced a feeling that even as better bars proliferate in NYC, truly exciting ones have not.
It was my loss to have ignored the opening of The Dead Rabbit earlier this year. It doesn't help that its located about as south as one can go in Manhattan, FiDi, generally a wasteland for food and drink. Make no mistake, unless you happen to work in the area, a trip here will be a trip made especially to come here. And be mindful of heading over on an early weekday; what passes for an excellent time to visit most bars elsewhere for quiet and the bar staff's full attention, will get you a raucous roomful of suits instead.
The Dead Rabbit, which takes its name from a notorious 19th century NYC Irish gang, is ambitious in its intent to elevate what most New Yorkers think of as an Irish pub. The first level is The Taproom, a warm, narrow space festooned with old black and white photos and dominated by the large, handsome bar. Seating is mostly limited to the long row of bar seats and a small table by the front window, with much use made of the standing room. They have an appreciable list of spirits, a selected rotating list of mixed drinks, and a reasonably good list of beers and wines. They distinguish themselves and stay true to their ambitions with a list of improved highballs, bottled punches, and pop-inns; the latter is new to me and is described as an ale spiked with liqueur.
Upstairs is The Parlor, yet another handsome space with full bar and a few cozy seating configurations. Service is well-dressed, poised, and friendly. Here, The Dead Rabbit shines in its complete embrace of an era of mixed drinks preceding the more popular Prohibition-era focus found in most cocktail lounges. The extensive, hardcover bound menu is brought with a complimentary punch, served in a dainty tea cup and saucer. In classic punch fashion, it is bold, each flavor competing with the other for prominence.
It is a worthy prelude to their mixed drinks, and much needed when there are six dozen drinks in all to peruse. Even moreso when every other drink introduced an ingredient heretofore unfamiliar to me. There's a baker's dozen of tinctures (rhubarb root, angelica, eucalyptus, tansy, sage, quinine, mace, pine needle & wormwood, woodruff, and celery), sherbets (lemon, orange, and clementine), preserves, housemade sodas, plentiful spices, and teas in their punches. To my delight, even the veteran cocktail enthusiast will find much unfamiliar here, a welcome feeling indeed. The drinks are grouped by types, such as flips, cobblers, punches, sours & fizzes, and juleps & smashes. Here again, I don't recognize quite a few, including bishops, fixes & daisies, invalids, and possets.
Sourced from very old recipes but interpreted for the modern palate, The Dead Rabbit hits all the right notes and creates incredibly delicious drinks. The first sip of the sophisticated Porterberry seized me and simply didn't let go. This mix of Islay Scotch, Navy Pusser's Rum, Strega, porter, ginger, lemon, and soft butter resulted in a a drink that was tantalizingly smoky, with a full, rich mouthfeel and layered flavors. The Ale Flip marries Sixpoint's Dead Rabbit Ale with whiskey, nutmeg and sugar, with a spiced egg batter for a foamy top. Looks like a coffee, tastes far greater than the sum of its parts, smooth and complex. The refreshing Whiskey Smash a la Terrington is cooling, easy-drinking, and wonderfully balanced, as is the pretty Red Cup, a port wine and brandy based drink leavened with lemon sherbet, lemon juice, red currant preserve, and cucumber soda.
The food menu is worth a look, although I've yet to delve much into it. Bar snack standards done well include fresh oysters on the half-shell, steamed shellfish, cheese and charcuterie, fritters, pate, and Scotch eggs. Larger dishes emphasize English and Irish roots, with various savory pies, fish and chips, bangers and mash, and corned beef sandwiches among the offerings.
Note that "The Grocery" in their name isn't simply for show; in the back of the Taproom is a corner with dried goods, salumi, and cheeses for purchase, a homage to such a practice in Ireland. Here too, their own Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters, based on an old formula and liberally used in their mixed drinks, may be purchased.
The Dead Rabbit has leapt into the top of my cocktail bar list. It is indeed worthy of the trek to FiDi. I'll be revisiting as much as I can to explore their fantastic mixed drink menu. -
- Eric F.
- Orlando, FL
- 16 friends
- 20 reviews
This place is in New York City and is super fancy. I went there and had some cocktails. The cocktails have lots of ingredients.
They could tell I was from out of town, because I tried to stand up at the bar where you are required to sit. Downstairs has some sawdust on the floor, but they didn't trick me. They don't saw anything there. It's a bar.
The worst part of my visit was that I realized my fly was down the entire time I was there and no one told me. Hopefully, someone will read this and train the staff a little better on that aspect.
This is my review. -
- Steve F.
- Albany, NY
- 0 friends
- 3 reviews
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Classic Irish-style pub with amazing cocktails - pretty awesome especially if you live in the FiDi late-night desert. Considering I'll be working there for another 4 months, I'm very thankful I found an awesome spot to flavor cocktails for the remainder of the winter. Cocktail list is huge, so shouldn't leave me wanting. The food is pretty tasty too.
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