Best Hotel Bar
A friend of ours, a worldly fellow, assures us that Four Seasons hotels are a cut above, nigh peerless. We wouldn’t know. Opulence and ostentation make us uncomfortable, as does obsequiousness, and we find that the three tend to travel in a pack. That’s the thing about the Champagne Bar at the Surf Club: Granted, it’s opulently appointed, lovingly restored to its early-20th-century glory, and with all mod cons. A bona fide throwback in a town full of construction cranes. But that’s where it stops. Cocktails are spendy, but hell, it’s the Surf Club. The big thing is that many, if not most, of the people you’ll see there have so much money that they see no reason to lord it over anyone. They, and you, are there for the same reason: to have a drink in a civilized atmosphere. (Ours is a Sipsmith gimlet up, extremely tart. Upcharge for the gin, but it’s only money.) You may, of course, witness some odd behavior; the rich, after all, are not like us. Perhaps spot a Birkin bag or two. You might even encounter some ridiculous characters who don’t know how to behave like adults, in which case you and the rich who are not like you will likely experience the same reaction: mild annoyance — but not enough to spoil your drink.