In a Blue Mood at the Algonquin Hotel

The Blue Bar at the Algonquin Hotel is a good bad-weather place. It may be fine on a sunny day, but as many summer evenings as I have passed it on the way to Grand Central Terminal, it didn’t draw me in. It is definitely not a piña colada kind of destination ( not one is on the list here).

Rain, sleet, snow, real-feel temperatures of 20 — different story. During Hurricane Irene in 2011, the Blue Bar was one of the few establishments open in Midtown Manhattan, and it was perfect place to spend an hour or two; the bartenders were there for the duration, staying in the hotel, and no one was in any kind of rush.

This year, a week after Hurricane Sandy, there was the same kind of mood. The Blue Bar has had a makeover in the last year — less snug (or claustrophic, which it could be) and more blue (blue lights above, blue lights behind the bar, a wall of blue light at the back of the room). Embedded within the bar itself are some sparkling lights — sometimes green, sometimes red, sometimes, of course, blue. It’s a little disco-y, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with summoning memories of the Trampps or Chic. Good times.

There are traditional touches as well. The Al Hirschfeld drawings on the dark wood walls. Sinatra on the sound system (“I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Witchcraft”). Bartenders and waiters who are hotel-professional and efficient. They know the ropes.

One aspect of the Blue Bar that has not changed in the last year is the tab: the drinks here are hugely expensive. There is not a cocktail on the list for less than $20. A martini with Grey Goose and three substantial olives is $22. It’s a good martini, but that sum will get you three cheeseburgers at the estimable Red Flame diner a few steps away. A Miller Lite costs $9.

The wine prices are particularly stunning. Many of those served here are widely available in stores at quite modest prices: a six-ounce glass of Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel is $18, $27 for a nine-ounce pour. Same for the Columbia Crest Merlot. Wines on the list labeled as “adventurous” are not; they include a red and a white from Ménage à Trois, $17 for a six-ounce serving. (Note to Blue Bar: some of the patrons in here have retirements to budget for.)

Still, the Algonquin is a commendable cocktail: dry vermouth, rye, pineapple juice (it is also $22). The mood of the room tends toward mellow; it’s a comfortable spot to contemplate the election results or a forecast of snow, and it’s fairly easy to tune out the two televisions behind the bar (though a drink can be a touch less enjoyable with a commercial for Passages Malibu Addiction Center as a backdrop).

All in all, not a bad place for a drink — and fiscal responsibility usually dictates the singular.

The particulars: The Blue Bar at the Algonquin Hotel, 59 West 44th Street, New York. (212) 840-6800. https://algonquinhotel.com/blue-bar. Open 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

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