In the old Sala space, The Wren opened for business in early December.  The new spot has a chill, neighborhood pub feel to it.  Upon entering, patrons encounter a small seating area in front, immediately followed by a medium-sized bar area and a medium-sized dining area in back.  The Wren has 10 quality draught beers, though cocktails seem to be the bigger draw here.  For food, The Wren offers a limited gastropub-like menu that includes cheese plates and chacuterie.  If you feel like changing it up when hanging out on the upper end of the Bowery, give The Wren a try.  You won’t be disappointed.  Pics to follow in a future post.

A solid beer bar in an immediate area that is lacking such places, Taproom 307 fills the void with 40 taps of craft beer from across the U.S. along with a few imports.  The tap rotation is frequent and I had the pleasure of trying the tasty Bronx Pale Ale for the first time.  As the beer menu says, Taproom 307 “has something for everyone, from the beginning craft beer drinker, to the seasoned beer geek,” as well as offering 64-oz. Growlers to go.  The food menu consists of a mix of bar and bistro fare, as well as pizza.  Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays.  The place is spacious, with a long bar on the right, booths along the wall opposite the bar and two long high-top tables in between the booths and the bar.  If there were a Gramercy craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl, Taproom 307 would be a great stop.  We’ll just have to wait for more beer bars to open nearby.  Either way, Taproom 307 is another spot I hope to revisit sooner rather than later.

From the same owners as next-door Penny Farthing comes Linen Hall (in the former Cosmic Cantina space).  A long bar on the left and several tables for parties of two on the right, along with some exposed brick.  The beer selection consists of 12 taps and 12 bottles.  I did not feel as though the selection were strong enough to make the cut so that Linen Hall could be included in a craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.  Admittedly though, the bar is set very high for craft-beer bars in the East Village.  The food menu was still in development during my visit.  Add in the friendly staff and I would like to make a return visit here sooner rather than later.

The second location of the Ayza empire opened in a triangular space in a slightly-off-the-beaten path location in the West Village.  A small seating area with a few high-top tables greets patrons.  The small eight-person bar lies just beyond the high-top tables.  Several two-person tables line the small hallway along the Seventh Avenue South side of the establishment that leads to the restroom.  The drink menu consists of 24 wines by-the-glass, cocktails (including Chocolate Martinis), and four beers.  Food menu includes cheese and chacuterie and gets rounded out by offerings of Jacques Torres chocolate.  This is definitely a good spot if you are in the nabe.  My only critique is that I wish the chocolate theme extended to the beer.  I know that beer is not the focus here, but they could replace the Stella and Corona with chocolate-like beer offerings such as Rogue Mocha Porter, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout or Sam Adams Cream Stout.  Either way, Ayza is a great addition to the West Village NYC wine bar crawl.

One Mile House represents another location of the same ownership group that includes such quality beer bars as Amity Hall and Stout NYC, among others.  While slightly off the beaten Ludlow/Orchard Street strip of nightlife destinations, One Mile House is a welcomed addition to the LES craft-beer NYC bar crawl.  Similar to Amity Hall, One Mile House has two bars, each with 20 taps.  One set of 20 taps remains fairly static, while the second set of 20 rotates frequently.  The space is fairly small compared to their other locations.  The two bars take up the small-ish front room, which is adorned with Old LES photos, and a small dining area resides in the back.  Restrooms are downstairs.  The food menu serves mainly upscale pub food.  Add in the friendly staff and One Mile House goes directly to the top of my list of establishments to revisit the next time I am hanging on the Lower East Side.

What are your thoughts on One Mile House?  Please share your comments here.

For those who remember Tribeca’s Pig ‘n’ Whistle, Tribeca Taphouse has taken over the location and performed a complete overhaul of the space.  The only reminder of the former establishment is the sign hanging over the restrooms at the back of the dining area.  Tribeca Taphouse’s reverse L-shaped bar is in the front right side of the space.  A few high-top tables reside just beyond the bar and then there’s a spacious dining area toward the back of the establishment.  Tribeca Taphouse features 20 mostly-quality draught and 16 bottled beers.  The food menu consists of burgers, sandwiches and the dinner menu also includes some mouth-watering entrees.  Tribeca Taphouse is a welcomed addition to the Tribeca craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.