The Birthplace of the Bloody Mary and Other Midtown Bars That Transport You Back to NYC’s ‘Mad Men’ Golden Age
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Since the mid-20th century, Madison Avenue has been ground zero for tastemakers — a global hub of advertising and public relations, a crossroads of creatives and carnival barkers who dream up slogans that often find their way into the lexicon of everyday life. Its denizens are salesmen in suits who dream of landing the whale — an account that generates enough liquidity to propel their division to the promised land.
The mantra then was as it is now — work hard, play hard, with lubrication found anywhere from the bottle in the bottom desk drawer to the top shelf at the local watering hole. Sadly, many (though not all) of these bars have long run dry. Happily they’ve given way to newer establishments that cater not to Mad Men, but a new breed of exec with all the old tastes.
MAD Bar & Lounge
Prime among them is the MAD Bar & Lounge in the lobby of NH Collection New York Madison Avenue at the corner of Madison Avenue and 38th Street where the lights are dim and the Old Fashions flow like they did in the days of Don Draper. The clientele today is mainly European tourists and locals who mostly stick to the classics – a Manhattan made with bourbon, French 75, made with gin (or cognac), fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, topped with Champagne and garnished with a lemon twist. Or the Old Fashioned, a scintillating concoction of Woodford Reserve bourbon, orange, bitters, orange syrup and Luxardo cherry.
Just don’t try to drink and run. “There’s a guy who invited a bunch of business partners,” recalls bartender Jose Bello. “He was ordering the most expensive drinks, trying to make an impression. And at the end of the night he didn’t want to pay. Security, they made him pay,” he says, sparing the gory details.
Kick back and sip to the classic jazz stylings of Peter & The Master Keys, or the modern vibe of The Colin Heshmat Trio. Depending on when you visit, you might find FIFA stars seated at the next table, in town for the World Cup, or, in August and September, USTA stars like Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka and Ashlyn Krueger — all past guests during the US Open.
If you’re celebrating a win on the court, the soccer pitch, or even a boardroom victory, take the elevator to the top floor Penthouse Empire Suite and pop the cork on some bubbly in the shadow of the Empire State Building only five blocks away, never more scintillating than when the sun starts to set and the city starts to sparkle.
Trade icy sidewalks for sunny surf breaks, Roman spas, and caviar hot dogs. This insider itinerary proves the Big Apple truly shines when temperatures rise.
Agency of Record
For a more intimate lair away from the tourists, head two blocks east to Agency of Record at 40th and Park. It’s a discreet hideaway tucked into the The Renwick Hotel, built in 1928 by the same architect who built St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Today it maintains its retro appeal as a discreet getaway to take the edge off after a hard day at the office. With low lighting and a reflective mood, it’s the perfect place for quiet conversation, a heart-to-heart or even a secret rendezvous away from prying eyes. A subdued and timeless atmosphere with one foot set in the present and the other firmly in the past, it offers classic cocktails with a modern twist.
“If someone was in their ‘59 Corvette and was driving home and hit a time warp and showed up in 2026, what would they drink?” asks manager David Morris. “They wouldn’t want to drink the same stuff they were drinking fifty years ago, but they would still want something familiar. So there’s the whole concept behind the cocktail program, the original flavor profile — updated retro.”
Mad Men style selections here come with fitting names like Product Placement (gin, mezcal, stonefruit, shiso mastiha, egg white and lemon), a floral herbal variation on the White Lady. Steamier still is Sex Sells (vodka, vanilla, passionfruit, pistachio orgeat and lemon), a riff on the Pornstar Martini with an option to Get A Room, a serving for two with a side of champagne. More practical is Know Your Demo, (Irish whiskey, blended scotch, benedictine, cherry, ginger, banana, pineapple and lime), a Singapore Sling that swaps gin for scotch and whiskey, satisfies both the tiki sipper and whiskey sour quaffers alike.
King Cole Bar
About a half mile north on 55th and 5th is King Cole Bar, legendary sippery off the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel. Not just famous for its historic mural of the nominal regent and his minions, it’s also the legendary birthplace of the Bloody Mary, invented in 1934 by bartender Fernand Petiot. Back then it was called the “Red Snapper” so as not to offend the hotel’s refined guests – vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. “The Red Snapper will always be the most popular,” says George Sierra, a waiter at King Cole Bar for 30 years. “But you still got your traditional drinks, the Old Fashion, the Negronis.”
The Old-School Vanguard
If your thirst is still not slaked (or if you’re feeling a little more vintage), your options in Midtown are plentiful.
- Keens Steakhouse, established in 1885 and featured in “Mad Men”, is a dark wood-paneled affair with ceiling pipes and an intimate atmosphere at 36th Street and 6th Avenue. Come for house fave — the martini made with London dry gin, stay for the mutton chop the size of your thigh and the memorabilia collection with a menu signed by baseball legend Joe DiMaggio.
- P.J. Clarke’s has been around since 1884, a historic saloon with checkered tablecloths and vintage vibe at 55th Street and 3rd Avenue. If it’s early, try the waffles made with a recipe courtesy of Jackie O. And if it’s later, you’ll want the Wagyu burger or the housemade corned-beef hash, washed down with the jumbo Bloody Mary.
- The Grill in the Seagram Building offers an old-school power dining experience at 45th Street and Park Avenue. Architect Philip Johnson’s design set on the ground floor of Rem Koolhaas’ legendary tower caters specifically to the mid-century maven, serving up delectable roast duck and caviar-bolstered vichyssoise complemented by your choice of wine or The Grill Sour made with gin, lemon, honey and lavender.
- The Polo Bar features aged leather booths and moody wood-paneled walls at 55th Street and 5th Avenue. Come not just for celebs like Hugh Jackman, Al Roker and the designer Tory Burch, but the bar’s equestrian décor that takes you back to the days of cigar-chomping capitalists sipping cocktails like the Lady Bird (named for the former First Lady), Ten to One Rum, Contratto Bianco, Verjus, King Bird, Giard Abricot, El Guapo Bitters and Luxardo.
“Mad Men” options in Midtown are plentiful, each offering their own take on fine dining, refined potables and an elegant variety of mid-century sophistication. Think of it not as a pub crawl, but as a tasting for visitors to New York that hints at the hustle of the post-war boom, the contemporary crossroads of good taste and bare-knuckled boardroom competition.
