The Fulton (121 Fulton Street, btw Nassau and Dutch Streets)

A new gastropub at the northern edge of the Financial District!  One of the first signs of the somewhat predictable makeover of Fulton Street, The Fulton is located in the space left behind by Blarney Stone.  Very spacious with a long bar area and two small to medium-sized seating areas on either end of the space, along with a larger dining space in a separate room, The Fulton is a new after-work hotspot in an immediate area that is lacking in such places.  For sports fans, there are numerous flat screen TVs on either side of the bar.  Eight fairly generic tap beers round out a drink menu that includes several $15 artisinal cocktails (with creative New York-centric names such as The Downtown, Bull & Bear and The Fulton Mary).  The food, which can be described as a mix of upscale bar and bistro fare, is solid.  For those who live and work nearby, this spot is a must visit.

The Irish American (17 John Street, btw Broadway and Nassau)

A block south and around the corner from The Fulton, The Irish American plays a similar role in the makeover of the western-most block of John Street.  The place formerly known as The John Street Bar & Grill had a facelift.  The sizeable front bar area is dwarfed by a very large dining area in back, which has a mix of high-top tables and booths.   A lone pool table resides at the back of the dining area.  The tap beers consist of 30 mostly quality offerings.  The Irish American is a solid addition to the Financial District Irish NYC pub crawl and the budding Financial District craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.

The Growler (55 Stone Street, btw William Street and Coenties Slip)

As if Stone Street needed another bar!  But, as much as I like Stone Street, until Growler opened, I always felt Stone Street was missing a true craft-beer focused bar.  Ulysses’ sort of fills that void, but there are still too many easy-to-find beers at Ulysses’ for it to be considered a destination beer bar.  The Growler has 20 beers on tap and most of them are from the New York or Pennsylvania (Six Point, Lake Placid, Troegs, among others).  A limited food menu of sandwiches, sausages, cheese and chacuterie.  The space is long and narrow, with entrances on both South William and Stone Streets.  The long bar takes up almost one entire side of the space.  Along the wall opposite the bar are several high-top tables.  On the basement level, near the bathrooms, there is another smaller bar area that looks available for private parties.  In short, a great spot.  Definitely one for the Financial District’s own craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.

Have you been to these places?  Share your thoughts here.