Those who can’t fly to London for the royal wedding Friday are taking the subway to British pubs instead.
At Queen Vic, on Second Avenue and East Fourth Street, a free drink will be given to anyone who dresses “in a way befitting your attendance of a Royal Wedding at Westminster Abbey.”
“We’re not going to be strict about it,” owner Alec Jackson said. “If somebody looks nice, they’ll get a free drink.”
But the Queen Vic and several other local mainstay British watering holes won’t be showing the wedding live on Friday because the state does not permit the serving of alcohol until 8 a.m. TV coverage of the wedding here starts at 5 a.m. and the ceremony is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m.
Jackson said even that won’t put a damper on the festivities for his royal revelers, saying, “we’ll be running the highlights all afternoon and night.”
He will, however, be concocting some special cocktails for the occasion.
“We’ll be doing some kind of True Blue Brit drink cocktail,” he said. “And Tetley’s and Newcastle will be $5 all day.”
Tea & Sympathy and Lyon — two Greenwich Avenue watering spots beloved by English ex-pats — are teaming up to host what they’ve dubbed a royal “street party.”
Lyon is already fully booked for the 6 a.m. screening of the royal wedding accompanied by a traditional English breakfast of fried eggs, sausage, black pudding, mushrooms, roasted tomato and fried bread.
A second $39 seating and viewing of the wedding is scheduled for 9 a.m., and a third for noon, Lyon co-owner Penny Bradley said.
“I think we’re going to get a lot of people dressing up as kings and queens,” she said. “We’re going totally English for the day. There will definitely be a lot of ex-pats here.”
When Tea & Sympathy opens at 10:30 a.m., there will be live performances, including Morris dancers, and other royal-themed entertainment.
But not all British pubs and restaurants are jumping on the princess’ train.
“We don’t care. It’s just a couple of kids getting married,” said Roger Clark, bartender at the Red Lion on Bleecker Street. “Plus it’s 6 a.m. — what are we going to serve, a couple cups of tea?”