The Office, at the Aviary - Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Being in the Office is like stepping into a secret hideaway – when I’m ensconced there, I feel that I’ve left behind the cares of the world.

It’s a small and welcoming space, with carpets layered across the floor, well-stuffed leather couches and armchairs, and interesting art and bibelots. It’s dimly lit, but there’s a glow from the bar, the mirrors behind the couches, and the candles scattered throughout. Everything is comfortably worn and distractions are minimal – no windows, unobtrusive comings and goings. Every moment of the experience is unhurried; this alone is completely indulgent.

But there’s more, of course. There’s the selection of cocktails made with exotic ingredients and house-made tinctures. There’s the luxurious food – every old-fashioned treat imaginable. And best of all, there are the “dealer’s choice” drinks made by Jason and Craig, who create bespoke cocktails based on even the vaguest requests (and their remarkably accurate read of your taste and preferences).

All the cocktails on the menu are wonderfully complex, with unexpected combinations and unfamiliar ingredients – things like pu-erh, quassia, or cinchona. The Gin is light and refreshing, with honeydew, lime, and Chartreuse, not to mention a “straw” made of a lovage stem and a finishing touch of celery bitters. The Cognac, served with a hand-chiseled ice sphere, is smooth and scented with tonka and vanilla beans, and finished with smoked black pepper syrup.

The drinks I like best are the ones I’ve gotten after asking for “dealer’s choice” – always delicious, and never the same one twice. I love the sake cocktails I’ve had, with melon or yuzu, or strawberry… Yum. These are the drinks where the really unusual syrups and tinctures appear; D once had black garlic tincture, and I had shortbread syrup in a sort of Pimm’s Cup. (It’s as good as it sounds!)

Now for the food. Everything on the menu is a bit over-the-top, and I mean that in the best possible way. The foie gras arrives in a duck-shaped tureen, rich and creamy as expected, and generously topped with chopped truffle. It’s decadent and delicious. I love the creamed morels, velvety-textured and flavored with tangy creme fraiche and thyme; the season for morels is probably over by now, but they were spectacular while they lasted. There is caviar by the ounce – I happily scarfed down the accompanying house-made potato chips and creme fraiche while D was distracted by the caviar.

Caviar and potato chips

Foie gras terrine

For something lighter, consider Iberico ham (served on a cone-like contraption to keep it warm and supple), very good shrimp cocktail, or oysters – with a twist, of course. They’re served with a series of little eyedropper bottles, each containing a different flavor essence like lemon, smoke, or curry to drip onto the oysters in whatever combination sounds good. (I stuck with green peppercorn, D adventurously tried them all.)

Iberico ham

Beef tartare

My favorite dish is the beef tartare, cool and velvety-textured and full of flavor – capers, shallots, parsley, and mustard seed. It’s served with thin rye toast points and crisp watercress, the perfect accompaniments.

For those who can manage dessert after all these indulgences, there’s a showstopper ice cream sundae. The vanilla ice cream is served in goblet-like silver cups, with hot fudge on the side and a large crystal lazy susan that holds the toppings – gummy bears, maraschino cherries, sliced bananas, peanuts, crushed Oreos and toffee bars – and the whipped cream. You can make your sundae as restrained or extravagant as desired.