With the Firmdale Hotel Group's first foray into America, the firm looked to introduce a bit of old-school British elegance into the typically bright and brash New York hotel scene, while maintaining a healthy dash of whimsical eclecticism. They seem to have accomplished that with the recent opening of the Crosby Street Hotel, but introducing alcohol makes it a trickier equation. How do you project sophistication while serving potent potables that will make patrons anything but? For The Crosby Bar the answer was again to be found in the Motherland.

Located on the ground floor of the Crosby lobby, the bar feels like a more hospitable version of an old English tea room. Designed by Kit Kemp, the bar features beautiful grey oak floors, a long pewter bar, high ceilings, and tall warehouse-style windows that look directly onto a well-kept garden on Lafayette. If you expect anything British to be low-light, pub games, and football on the TV, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the airy, sunlit space.

If it doesn't really feel like a "bar" per se, that's because it really isn't (despite the moniker). Sure, Crosby Bar serves a collection of stylish cocktails (like the Seelbach, a bourbon/champagne drink) put together by expert mixologist Marshall Altier, bespoke elixirs, a world-wearied wine list (many by the glass), and a number of champagnes, but it offers more than just liquor.

Open from morning until night, there's a full menu by Firmdale's Executive Chef Robin Read, and it's just as good for breakfast as it is for drinks. If you want the real British experience, grab a seat in the garden for afternoon tea, complete with all the embellishments. I vote for a rename. How bout "Crosby Champagne Breakfast Tea Liquor Club Room"? Okay, I'll keep trying.