Wednesday, June 24, 2009

On the hunt for a dive bar with "interesting beers on draft, low-key/friendly crowd, passable pub grub"


Speaking of bars... Someone poses a question to the folks at T Magazine at the Times.

Dear Concierge,

I’m looking for a good dive bar. In Manhattan, dive bars are either too div-y (bikers, professional boozers) or too sporty (yellers, Buckhunters). I live downtown, but I’ll go anywhere a Metrocard can get me. Things I’d like: interesting beers on draft, low-key/friendly crowd, passable pub grub, not too crowded/discovered and a general feeling of authenticity. Thank you!


Among the input provided:

Eric Asimov, The Pour columnist for the Dining section and a connoisseur of spirits high and low, weighed in with his favorites: East Village Tavern on Avenue C — a year-old craft-beer place that updates its cask and tap lists daily on its Web site — and Rattle ‘N’ Hum, another new craft-beer spot a pint’s throw from Madison Square Garden that serves food like Rattle ‘N’ Hummus.


Anyway. The usual suspects are trotted out.

The Brooklyn Icehouse, 318 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn; (718) 222-1865.
The Brooklyn Inn, 148 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn; (718) 625-9741.
Daddy’s, 435 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn; (718) 609-6388.
East River Bar, 97 South 6th Street, Brooklyn; (718) 302-0511.
East Village Tavern, 158 Avenue C; (212) 253-8400.
Freddy’s Bar & Backroom, 485 Dean Street, Brooklyn; (718) 622-7035.
Hank’s Saloon, 46 Third Avenue, Brooklyn; (718) 625-8003.
Mars Bar, 25 East 1st Street; (212) 473-9842.
Mona’s, 224 Avenue B; (212) 353-3780.
Nancy Whiskey Pub, 1 Lispenard Street; (212) 226-9943.
Rattle n Hum, 14-16 East 33rd Street; (212) 481-1586.
Russian Vodka Room, 265 West 52nd Street; (212) 307-5835.
The Scratcher, 209 East 5th Street; (212) 477-0030.
Spuyten Duyvil, 359 Metropolitan Avenue, (718) 963-4140.
St. Dymphna’s, 118 St. Mark’s Place; (212) 254-6636.

5 comments:

esquared™ said...

I'm somewhat concerned that these places will be invaded by and be a regular joint for the B&T's, tourists, NYU kids, etc... soon and become like what has happened to Continental.
Nonetheless, yes to St. Dymphna's and The Scratcher, two of my all-time favorites.

EV Grieve said...

You mean HAVE BEEN invaded...? Yeah, I always hate lists like this. Though I'm glad to see places like East Village Tavern make the list. Yes. GO THERE. Where, on my one visit, I was treated to the iPod stylings of the 22 year old bartender from the UWS who loves, loves, LOVES Dave Matthews!

Bowery Boogie said...

i thought mars didn't have a tap..

Anonymous said...

While I really enjoy the beer selection at East Village Tavern and drop in occasionally, I always feel incredibly disoriented by the crowd there. I seriously believe that there is some secret portal that magically transports me to the UWS whenever I walk through the door. Definitely not a neighborhood joint.

ak said...

mars doesn't have tap nor passable pub grub nor interesting beers. though it does have bikers and professional alcoholics. don't know how that one got listed.

though there's other strange ones too. daddy's? really??