December 2004
Bar of the Month: Tabacco
The perfect bar is much like the perfect cocktail. The right ingredients, in just the right quantities, blended to perfection—yet without masking the individual flavors, all served in the right receptacle. The taste shouldn’t be too bitter or too sweet, but should give you a certain calmness and spark an inner smile. For an idea of what I’m talking about, head to Tabacco, where one sip of the sultry atmosphere will transport you back to the Roaring Twenties and classic cocktail heaven. Yes, this place combines a shot of class with good measures of attention to detail, understated elegance and attentive service, all shaken lightly, to appeal to a broad section of society. The wood-paneled surroundings, just like a martini glass, are timeless and simple. And, more importantly, the whole thing is discreet. There’s none of this in-your-face schmaltz—think bucket-sized glasses, adorned with plastic monkey and paper parasols. No, Tabacco
is more like the single drunken cherry, lying quietly at the bottom of a Manhattan Perfect. After all, where would a bar be without discretion? This is the sort of place where secret romantic liaisons take place, where ground-breaking business deals are made and where a lady can take a sloe gin in the afternoon without turning heads. Even when one customer got up, left through the frosted glass swing doors, slipped on the polished floor and ended up doing a Chaplinesque comedy stumble, no one so much as raised an eyebrow. No, they were all far too engrossed in enjoying some excellent drinks. Real drinks. With not a prosecco-aperol in sight. Ok, so you won’t get much change from € 20 for a round for two (don’t even breathe the words Happy Hour), but at least you’re paying for quality alcohol, rather than a dash and a splash, drowned in half a liter of pineapple juice. Even if you’re not a big drinker, this is one of the rare establishments that offers a wide selection of classy non-alcoholic options. And, in keeping with the real drinks, were some very real customers. Real men, real women. Tabacco is not a place for wannabes. Nor is it the sort
of place you need be intimidated by. Instead, it’s somewhere to savor. Take it in, little by little, enjoying the feeling of warmth wash over you, almost as if time had stood still. Much like the perfect cocktail, in fact. <<<
Wear: Like the bar itself—something timeless and elegant,
with a killer twist—some very, very high heels
Drink: Champagne cocktail
Bring: Your fattest cigar
Tabacco, Hartmannstrasse 8, Tel. 22 72 16
Open Mon–Thurs, 5 pm–1 am; Fri & Sat, 5 pm–3 am
