Pegu Club: Cocktail Bar Review

Whether you want to try the eponymous Pegu Club Cocktail, a Gin-Gin Mule or a Jimmie Roosevelt, any cocktail you order at Pegu Club will be precisely and expertly prepared resulting in a perfectly balanced beverage. Well chosen music, a beautiful wood bar, and bartenders happy to share their knowledge make Pegu Club a top notch cocktail lounge.

The Pegu Club logo on the glass door is easy to miss, but pay attention and you'll be rewarded. Despite the apparent comfort of the low lying tables and chairs, you'd be foolish to sit anywhere but at the bar at Pegu Club. Only there can you get an upclose view of what makes Pegu Club truly outstanding -- their cocktails. The bar is stocked with a myriad of fresh garnishes -- from mint used in Old Cubans and cucumber slices for Pimm's Cups to whole oranges and lemons and sugar cubes to be muddled with bitters for Sazeracs, the mise en place illustrates the level of detail paid to the cocktails.

The cocktail menu features some of owner Audrey Saunder's own creations like the Gin-Gin Mule and Earl Grey MarTEAni, as well as classic cocktails, including the eponymous Pegu Club Cocktail and the Jimmie Roosevelt. Pick your poison ($12 cocktails, $16 champagne cocktails) and watch as the bartender measures, stirs, tastes and serves your cocktail -- each step completed with purpose and concentration.

Watching the bartenders make cocktails for other patrons is the perfect way to pass the time as you sit and sip your drink. I'm particularly impressed when they shake two cocktails simulaneously -- both arms rhythmically moving a cocktail shaker without a mishap or spilled drink. The array of Asian-inspired small plates promise to keep you from getting tipsy as you enjoy another cocktail. The only trouble is choosing which one to try next.