Best Manhattan

There's nothing like the classics. For the drinking crowd, they're never out of style, and they're a type of yardstick for judging bars and bartenders. In the age of the designer martini, they represent a dying but necessary art. That's why South End Galleria bartenders Joe Carbonaro and Marcy White are such treasures. Besides being able to carry out customer relations with sass (Marcy), subtlety (Joe), and class (both), the bartenders at this Columbus Avenue trattoria are just as comfortable with sidecars as they are with coconut martinis. But their real triumph is the Manhattan. Like all fine cocktails, this one is seductively simple: blended whiskey, vermouth, bitters, and a maraschino cherry to finish. Here the balancing act is pulled off with Cirque du Soleil elegance. Neither Marcy nor Joe holds back on the bitters (avoiding a common problem), and everything is appropriately stirred and strained. The result is one beautiful copper-colored drink, sweet and strong and timeless as can be.

South End Galleria, 480A Columbus Avenue, Boston, (617) 236-5252.