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| - Show up in a suit right after work and you're good to go. You'll pay an extra $3-5 per drink, but it's a very nice rooftop bar with a beautiful view. Better than Fahrenheit and City Lights Social in my opinion. The staff was friendly the first time I went, but a little pretentious the second time around.
My second visit didn't go so well. We showed up in dress shoes, slacks, sweaters, and light jackets and were turned away at 9pm on a Friday. Apparently there is a "strict collared shirts" policy, even though it was 45 degrees in late November (and it's a rooftop bar exposed to the elements). Also, the social program manager is someone I know from his days at Hotel Van Zandt / Geraldine's in Austin, having lived there for five years, and he was completely unwilling to accommodate us because of the lack of "collared shirts". A hotel guest was refused immediately after us because he was wearing sneakers. I don't know this guy, but he was paying a premium to stay at a Kimpton boutique hotel and couldn't even get a drink at the hotel bar. I've never seen such a thing anywhere else, and I travel 2-3 weeks per month for work. "Sorry you didn't pack dress shoes" was the bouncer's way of addressing that situation, and it's pretty much on par for the greeting you should expect at Merchant and Trade. Reminds me of that movie Date Night - Claw, you're welcome!
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