Monthly Archives: March 2013

NYC bars we're looking forward to visiting

New bars keep opening and we need to get to them.  So, in that vein, here are a few spots on our radar.  In Manhattan, we still have to visit Hudson Common in the Hudson Hotel.  Over in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, we gather that a new beer bar, Torst, has opened recently.  The buzz has been high about Torst, so we can’t wait to see for ourselves.  Just slightly south and east from Torst in Williamsburg is Roebling Sporting Club.  And, in Long Island City, Queens, we look forward to visiting Opendoor.  As always, we’ll keep you posted on our findings.  Which recently-opened spots do you suggest we visit?

A review of The Windsor in Manhattan's Murray Hill South

Well, Winston’s didn’t last too long.  Not really surprising either.  Even the wealthy out-of-town visitors and wealthy locals probably were not gonna frequent a place whose least expensive drink cost $20 (and bottles of wine/champage up to the tens of thousands).  Perhaps we finally know just how pricey a bar can be before it’s just too expensive.  Or, perhaps the fine folks at the Gansevoort hotel on Park Avenue just wanted to try their hands at an upscale sports bar.  So, the Windsor picks up from where Winston’s left off.  The layout is almost identical.  The tables have changed and numerous TV panels abound the place.  Regular readers know our feelings on upscale sports bars.  But, if you’re nearby, The Windsor is worth a visit.

Manhattan bars that we have visited recently

Over the past several days, we’ve had the opportunity to visit several spots, some of the recently-opened variety.  The wine bars include Hell’s Kitchen’s  Wine Escape and  Nolita’s Clos New York.  We also visited East Village’s Wise Men and LES’ Beverly’s and Up Stairs Bar.  We’ll provide more details in forthcoming posts.  In short, we liked Wine Escape, Wise Men and Beverly’s.  The other two were okay, but there are numerous other spots we need to hit before we return to those two.

A review of Vanguard Wine Bar in Manhattan's Kips Bay

Located at 530 Second Avenue, Vanguard Wine Bar diversifies the bar offerings in this section of Kips Bay.  Down a few steps from Second Avenue, Vanguard offers numerous wines by bottle and glass, as well as good wine bar food.  Our favorite was the cheddar cheese dip.  Amazing stuff.  The space has the main bar in the center and offers seating along the sides of the space.  Definitely worth a visit next time you’re in that part of town.

Random thoughts the day after St. Patrick's Day

We hope everyone had a safe and fun St. Patrick’s Day.

Here are a few new bars in Manhattan we’re looking forward to visiting: The new location of Milk & Honey on East 23rd Street, Wine Escape on West 44th Street in Hell’s Kitchen and Wise Men on the Bowery in the East Village.

Here are a few new bars in Brooklyn we’re looking forward to visiting: Torst on Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Pork Slope on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope and Lavender Lake on Carroll Street in Carroll Gardens.

As always, we’ll keep you informed after we visit these and other spots.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

If you’re looking for a St. Patrick’s NYC bar crawl today, check out these options:

In Manhattan, sponsored by pubcrawls.com: http://www.pubcrawls.com/saint-paddys-pub-crawl-new-york.php

In Astoria, Queens, sponsored by barcrawls.com: http://barcrawls.com/events/Astorias-Official-St-Paddys-Weekend-Kick-Off-Party-3-15-13

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, sponsored by barcrawls.com: http://barcrawls.com/events/Williamsburg-Official-St-Paddys-Weekend-Kick-Off-Party-3-15-13

Looking for a pub crawl in NYC this weekend?

For a St. Patrick’s Day NYC Irish pub crawl, here are a few options for March 15, 16 and 17:

In Manhattan, sponsored by pubcrawls.com: http://www.pubcrawls.com/saint-paddys-pub-crawl-new-york.php

In Astoria, Queens, sponsored by barcrawls.com: http://barcrawls.com/events/Astorias-Official-St-Paddys-Weekend-Kick-Off-Party-3-15-13

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, sponsored by barcrawls.com: http://barcrawls.com/events/Williamsburg-Official-St-Paddys-Weekend-Kick-Off-Party-3-15-13

The Best Irish Pubs in Brooklyn

The following article was written by Lizz Riggs, editor of NYCTourist.com

The Best Irish Pubs in Brooklyn

St. Patrick’s Day is on the rise, which gets everyone feeling closer to their Irish roots and ready to pound some Guinness and and Magner’s in your best green outfit. Rather than hanging out with all of the tourists in town in Times Square and on Fifth Avenue, check out one of the Irish pubs in Brooklyn for great beer, low prices and people just like you who are ready to have a great time. What better place to spend this holiday, or any day that you’re feeling a little Irish, than an authentic Irish pub in New York City?

Irish Haven is a Sunset Park  pub that attracts a very entertaining crowd practically every night of the week. When you’re in Brooklyn craving a pint of Guinness, this is your spot, as they’ve got it, along with Magners and Smithwicks on tap for just $4. This place is just about as Irish as it gets, and if you settle down in a seat at the bar, you’re sure to hear an accent or two striking up a conversation beside you. They’ve got a jukebox, pool table and people keep coming all day and all night, making it feel like a bar that never sleeps, but in the best possible way. Scenes from The Departed were shot here, so if you run out of things to talk about with your barmates, bring that up and the bartenders will surely spare no details in the story. It’s an honest-to-goodness bar that rarely steers you wrong, but don’t order a cranberry juice without expecting a wisecrack.

Shayz Lounge in Greenpoint is laid back even though there’s always a good amount of people in here. Hang out on the patio, come watch a game or make some friends at the bar – this is a great neighborhood place to grab a beer, but bring some moula, because they don’t accept plastic. Take advantage of the happy hour specials from 3pm-9pm every night of the week with beers that come in around $3-$4 and lots of other great drinks, or the $5 beer/shot combos that are always available. People make fun of the name, but that doesn’t stop them from frequenting the place, and Shayz will be welcoming in the masses on St. Patrick’s Day.

Rocky Sullivan’s Red Hook is a Red Hook bar famous for their trivia! The first two places are go-to’s for a solid drink, and this place is actually a sit down and have a good meal. Not just typical pub grub either. They have a great selection of pizzas that people seem to enjoy the most, but they also have a section of authentic Irish classics like Shepherd’s Pie, Bangers and Mash and Beef & Guinness Stew. The friendly staff makes this a great place to hang out for a bit and drink all day, or pop in for a drink on your way to something else. Both out of towners and locals alike make new friends and create some solid memories in this place. On St. Patrick’s Day 2013, they’ll be hosting the Unrepentant St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Saturday and drinking all day Sunday. It may not be the most convenient location, but it’s well worth the driver over, and even better when you happen to be in the Red Hook area already, should that ever happen.

Photo courtesy of Lizz Riggs, NYCTourist.com

Coel is Irish for “music,” and the owner of Coel Pub in Brooklyn, Loretta, hails from Dublin. As the name suggests, this is a place you can come to enjoy traditional Irish live music. The friendly bartenders make spending a few hours here enjoyable, and the prices won’t affect your bank account too much even if you end up spending the entire evening here. They’ve got great food on the menu, and while the burgers are a favorite, you can also get your hands on a decent plate of fish and chips. Coel doesn’t have an extensive beer selection, but they do have plenty of great options. They know to serve Magners with ice (the right way to serve it) and can give you a great pour of Guinness. You can’t beat these happy hour prices, like $4 drafts and $5 cocktails with $5-$6 food options. If you like soccer, like hanging out with locals and enjoy live music, you won’t be disappointed in spending an afternoon here.

Soccer Tavern
Ah, Brooklyn Chinatown. Soccer Tavern is an Irish pub in a sea of Chinese bars, but the clientele is just what you’d expect in the neighborhood. Rather than the thick Irish accents and outgoing personalities that greet you at many Irish pubs, expect a crowd of older Asian men who don’t speak much English. Everyone else is just here for an inexpensive drink and a game of darts. It’s down to earth and not super trendy. They keep things low key for the average joes, and seem to have a decent amount of regulars who you’ll run into time and time again.

Smith’s Tavern
If you’re looking for some cheap beer at a local watering hole, this is not a bad spot to get your buzz on. Enjoy the tunes on the jukebox, try your luck at a game of darts and mingle with the locals who make their way in starting (basically) in the morning. This didn’t used to be a place that you’d want to go despite how little the beer costs, but now that Brooklyn’s on the rise, so is Smith’s.