Printer's Row

New York City

Enter any cigar bar, and you're likely to see mahogany bars, plush armchairs and, of course, plenty of cigars. How, then, to distinguish oneself from the hundreds of Club Smokes that have sprouted over the past few years?

How about plopping down a 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa convertible right between the tables? Or a fire-red 1967 Austin Healey Mk 3000. Or perhaps a 1956 Daimler SP 250 with the top down.

At Coopers Classic Cars, Cigars & Bar, a new midtown Manhattan cigar bar, a revolving door of Ferraris, Thunderbirds, Jaguars and other autos from the the 1920s to the '80s are all within drooling distance and, for those with a little spare change, are all for sale. The cars come courtesy of Elliot Cuker, the bar's proprietor (along with his wife, Noeline) who also is the owner of Coopers Classics Ltd., a downtown classic car dealership that Cuker founded nearly 20 years ago.

But it's not just the cars that can make patrons feel as if they've been transported to another time. Adorning the walls are black-and-white photos of famous Hollywood smooch scenes: Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in the rain in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in the surf in From Here to Eternity, Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neal embracing in Love Story. Brando, Bogey and Bergman are there, too. And on the turntable (all right, the CD player if you must), the soothing tones of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Ol' Blue Eyes complete the journey to yesteryear.

"That's the mood I want," says Cuker, a onetime Broadway actor who has recently appeared in Night Falls on Manhattan and in an episode of the TV cop show "Law & Order." "I want a guy to sit down, forget about all the worries of the day, forget about his broad, forget about his mortgage, drink some wonderful Scotch, have a Martini, have a cigar, and sit next to a beautful XKE Jaguar, and feel part of the ambience and just get sucked into it and just unwind."

Cuker's passion for cars (he claims that he established the fad of getting married in a Rolls-Royce) extends to the decor at Coopers. Look up, and you'll see a cement ceiling that could have been chiseled from a garage. Look down, and you'll notice that the glass table where you've set down your Macallan's or R�my Martin has a silver fender and headlight attached to it. Even some of the ashtrays come in the form of genuine Rolls-Royce hubcaps, although depositing one's ashes in them might seem sacrilegious.

Make yourself at home at the semicircular bar (the wood comes from Madagascar, Cuker says) or in one of the cozy seats around the room (they're arranged in sectionals, so they can easily be moved to accommodate a large party). Then avail yourself of Coopers's extensive selection of single-malt Scotches, Bourbons, Cognacs, Ports and Tequilas, or enjoy one of its primarily California wines. If you're hungry, though, you might not be able to get out of first gear. A couple of shrimp cocktails and a vegetable p�t� with Ritz-like crackers took a half hour to arrive, even though the place was just starting to fill up. And the Beluga caviar was unavailable.

Coopers boasts a walk-in humidor, with some two dozen brands from which to choose, including Fuentes, Montecristos, El Rey del Mundos and Dunhills. Prices mostly range from $10 to $25, although if you're hankering for certain OpusXs, be ready to shell out up to $35. There's also Coopers's own cigar, a mild, spicy smoke made in four sizes that Cuker one day hopes to market nationally. If you prefer to stash your own cigars on the premises, you can rent one of the 60 personal cigar lockers for $1,000 a year.

Coopers likes to think of itself as an art emporium. In addition to the classic cars--one or two are always on display--the art and the custom furniture can also be purchased. The cigar connoisseur can also take advantage of a retail counter that offers lighters, cases, ashtrays and other smoking accessories. Ever the entrepreneur, Cuker envisions a series of Coopers franchises and says he's already fielded an inquiry from London.

In the meantime, the New York establishment provides an oasis from today's fast-paced, high-tech world, or, as Cuker puts it, "People now need something more human. They need a little more passion in their lives. They need a little more sensuality." At Coopers, as you savor your Scotch and listen to the strains of Sinatra, you may very well find such pleasures.--Bruce Goldman

Coopers Classic Cars, Cigars & Bar
41 West 58th Street
Phone (212) 588-8888

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