In Midtown, there's no shortage of run-of-the mill watering holes. It's refreshing then, to welcome to the Garment District The Rag Trader and Po Beep Cocktail & Highball Store, a handsome, three story restaurant/speakeasy/piano bar designed in what was once a garment factory.
The main floor of the Ragtrader. Head upstairs for a second, more casual bar with table seating. Photo: Gabi Porter
The main floor, serves up nearly three dozen cocktail selections concocted by Beverage Director Evan Hawkins (in addition to craft beer and wine).
Bustling main floor of the Ragtrader. Photo: Linda Sheridan
Step to the side for antique beauty bar, with vintage mannequins and issues of Vogue on display. The back dining room on the main floor, is adorned with hat boxes.
Photo: Gabi Porter
Ragtrader steps up the game for its menu, prepared by Executive Chef Justin Ottervanger. No hot wings and salsa chips here, but fried East Coast oysters, tuna tartare tacos, hangar steak and frites, sea scallop crudo, oven ready pizza. They will now be serving brunch on weekends, too, from 11am-3pm. Venture upstairs for a slightly more chill atmosphere, with a separate bar, casual tables for bites, and an Instagram-worthy parked Volkswagen with a table for two.
Ragtrader's Bo Peep Cocktail & Highball Store. Photo: Gabi Porter.
For a calmer, more intimate atmosphere, head downstairs to the charming Bo Peep Cocktail & Highball Store. Sit on crushed velvet stools at the bar, or in one of the banquettes, while the piano player tickles the ivories. Here, the drinks fall into categories such as Tiki, Stirred, Boozy & Serious. Understand, this space is considerably smaller, you may need to get on the waitlist. Ragtader / Bo Peep takes reservations.
The bar, brainchild of the Fox Hospitality Group, worked to preserve the architectural integrity of the building. “Underneath the layers of walls and flooring that had amassed over time, the building had a hidden story to reveal from when the neighborhood first flourished as a creative fashion haven,” said Mark Fox in a press statement. “I imagined the seamstresses and tailors working on this very floor 70 years ago and wanted the decor to pay tribute to just that.”
The Ragtrader Bo Peep Cocktail & Highball Store is located at 70 West 36th Street. For more information, visit ragtradernyc.com.
