Slightly Oliver opened recently in the old Bar Luna space.  Swapping out a focus on wine for a focus on cocktails (though still offering about 20 wines by the glass as well as a few beers on tap), Slightly Oliver’s layout is almost identical to Bar Luna, with a 12-seat bar on the right and high-top tables on the left.  Up a few steps past the bar is the narrow dining area.  Slightly Oliver is a more grown-up spot from the post-college scene a few blocks south on Amsterdam.  Slightly Oliver is definitely worth a visit if you live nearby or are visiting the nabe.  If there were a cocktail bar focused UWS NYC bar crawl, Slightly Oliver would be a stop on it.

AOA Bar & Grill takes over from a former restaurant whose name I can’t recall.  A spacious set-up with two bars, one semi-circle near the entrance and another L-shaped bar just beyond the semi-circle one.  In the bar area, AOA B&G has six high-top tables, along with additional seating beyond the two bars.  About a dozen flat screen TV sets were showing college football during my visit.  AOA’s beer selection is extensive with 25 taps and 50 bottles.  In addition, there are 12 wines by the glass.  The food menu consists mainly of upscale bar / bistro fare as well as pizza.  AOA is a nice addition to the Tribeca craft-beer focused NYC bar crawl.  I hope AOA can last longer than the former occupants of this space.

What are your thoughts on this place?  Please leave a comment here.