Guy Brighton's New York Guide

Delicia

322 W 11 St, Btwn Greenwich & Washington, NY 10014 - Great, great Brazilian food in family/home-cooking restaurant. Consider the Muqueca de Camarao (shrimp stew with coconut milk) or Mandioca Frita (fried yuca). Menu isn't too varied so don't go the 30 times we have or you'll get bored of even the chorizo starter!! Feb 18 04

Update Thur 17 2005: Whilst the Spotted Pig remains packed at anytime, it's always quite a surprise to find this spot so empty. OK, different scene, different ambience but great food. But! Be prepared for that wait! Even for the check!

Update Sept 13 2005: He's got staff!! Well 2 right now!

Delicia Menu
Map
Price range: $$ ($15-30)

Johnny's Bar

90 Greenwich Ave New York, NY 10011-7744 (212) 741-5279. For a couple of years after I first moved here, I used to walk past this place and think, 'that would be a good place to spend all day in.' I kicked myself when I finally ventured in - Johnny's Bar is one of New York's few remaining true dive bars. Visit after midnight to bustle with a crowd of frat boys, drunken blondes, music-hipsters, fire fighters and fairly dodgy looking hustlers. It's tiny but everyone manages to find a stall somewhere. I particularly like the chalkboard that lets you buy a drink for a friend you missed. Cheap and cheerful. A final stop before bed.

Map

Westville

210 West 10th West Village (& Bleeker) (212) 741-7971 - New simple food made nice restaurant. Great value. Small.

Try the Turkey Burger and the Pork Chop! Also smoky mac n cheese or corn-on-the cob.

Details, another review or see Leonardo Di Caprio ordering take out here.

UPDATE FEB 2ND!! So the ambience remains the same, but is the love for the food similar? We dunno anymore. We wouldn't quite say they've sold out but we would say that the only reason to go to Westville would be for the turkey burger. It really is the best in town. Promise.

UPDATE SEPT 12th 05!! I'm sorry to say that this place looks like it's being run into the ground. The place is dirty. It's due for a good clean up. Order the turkey burger as take out.

Guy's Diary posts about Westville
THURSDAY 8th JANUARY : WESTVILLE

Salon

505 West St, New York, NY 10014 - (212) 929-4303 - The more I go to Salon the more I get to like this undiscovered gem. Salon comprises of a boudoir-deco styled basement bar/restaurant and a glorious dance hall upstairs with river views open for hire. I hear that this is where the hoity-toity used to go when their ships docked close-by back in the day.

When I first popped by with the Lady we discovered an amazing Latin disco upstairs fully equipped with DJ, dancing Brazilian festival girl on podium, a crowd that would feel at home in Ibiza Town (which is pretty difficult to find in the US).

When the room upstairs is closed the bar downstairs is pretty quiet. Normally there's an owner at the bar wondering why there aren't any customers. Best to bring your own crowd, enjoy the good food and ignore the poor liquor selection. We had a blast when we celebrated a birthday here.

Web

Jarnac

328 W12th St (c/o Greenwhich Ave) NY 10014 - 212 924 3413 - Despite living right next door to this place for almost a year, I had never taken the Lady to dine here. It all looks so very proper when you look through the window. So I got the chance to go when my parents came to town. Perfect location. Staff act like they're one big family. Good wine. Terrific food.

Nice English guy, Tony, with French upbringing makes sure the place is running perfectly whilst food is cooked by Maryann with love. Perfect place for an 'occasion' meal.

Menu
Website

The Blue Mill

50 Commerce Street 212 352 0009 - I haven't eaten here yet but the owners of Chumley's have taken this place over and reverted it back to it's original name and mood. Leave a comment if you go!

Corner Bistro

Corner Bistro, 331 W 4th St (off 8th Ave) (212) 242-9502 - I was surpised to find that I hadn't written about this instituition before but then again maybe I remembered why. The place is an old locals pub crammed with anything but. Crammed with lots of people lining up to be eat the places great burgers in the back room.

It's a nice gaff, miserable bar staff - perfect if it wasn't for the crowds. Worth the 30-45 minute wait (each night)? Not for me - but if you get the chance, dash in to the gap at the bar, order the Bistro Burger for take out and sup a quick McSorleys.

Site
Mon-Sat 11:30am- 4:00am
    Sun 12:00pm- 4:00am

Guy's Diary posts about Corner Bistro
Corner Bistro 2

La Nacional: Traveling to Spain on the A/C/E

Take a step off the grime of the city streets into a truly authentic Spanish gem of a restaurant at La Nacional (239 9th Avenue).

Just one sip of the sangria (red or white - buenissima!) with a bite of the chorizo and a morsel of the tortilla espanol and you are transformed into a casual, relaxed and thoroughly satisfied Spaniard. The social club entrance, the paella, the ability to linger at your table till you heart's desire all make for a perfect break from the NYC vibe and leaves you thoroughly satiated and your senses flittering about like a flamenca dancer.

'Snice

'Snice - 45 8th Avenue - 212 645 0310 - I haven't written about this because I wanted to keep it my secret. Now read this: Guy Brighton & Vegetarian Food. Yup, I didn't think they mixed either until I started having lunch / late tea from this new spacious joint on 8th Avenue. No, let's get it straight: when I'm at work on 5th Ave, I crave lunch from 'Snice.

The food is mainly veggie and vegan sandwiches, salads. The crowd is chilled, happy, hip - and probably healthy. Locals and passersby. There's a smattering of laptops but, thank goodness, it's not as scene-y as Doma.

Guy's faves : The Chilli Broth, Tricolor Panini and Roasted Veg Panini.

Brass Monkey

Brass Monkey- Little West 12th (btwn Washington & the West Side Highway) - Huge new wood panelled hall created for the enjoyment of a good drink. Large global beer selection. The Brass Monkey is good looking haunt that reminds me of a modern decent Irish/London pub and is a welcome change to the current crop of unimaginative neo-space-age bars around the corner (e.g. Highline).

Right now you can even take your pint outside the front for a cigarette. Very reasonable menu that includes Fish & Chips and Bangers & Mash. I fear that in 2 months this place will be swamped and unbearable like the rest of the area (except the great Passer By). Sept  23 '04

Update Feb 12 2005: Stay away on Saturday nights. The mob is in town. You'll be lining up outside for 30 minutes to enter an over-crowded space filled with folk who venutred far to be here.

Update Feb 17 2005: Thursday nights are busy but maintain the right mood. OK, it's not a 'trendy bar' but it's lively and has a decent pint. The barman even got me a free one on his round!

Update Feb 23 2005: Wednesday nights: perfect for that pint with a coupla mates.

Website

Guy's Diary posts about Brass Monkey
FRI 9th JULY : SHINE BRASS MONKEY SHINE
WEDS 14th JULY: WATCH THE BRASS MONKEYS
WED 11th AUG : GOOD AND BAD IN ONE DAY
THUR 12th AUG : DEFINITION OF A LADS NIGHT OUT
THUR 7th OCT : POPCORN

Stuff's NYC Bars

April's issue of Stuff magazine features two hall-of-fame dive bars in NYC:

Johnny’s Bar at 90 Greenwich Ave. in Manhattan -- The place is so small, you’ll practically be wearing women. Cute, just-out-of-college chicks come to drink the $5 shot-of-Beam-and-bottle-of-Rheingold special from noon to 7 P.M.

Sweet Up’s at 277 Graham Ave. in Brooklyn -- Owner Benjamin Shih demands that his staff pours stiff drinks and encourages binges. "We have obscene levels of hooking up," says Shih.

Via NewYorkology

Ear Bar

Look for the neon sign - Spring Street (btwn Washington & West Highway)

The Ear Bar is one of the oldest pubs in the city - found on Spring St and close to the river. Cosy, warm, an old fisherman's pub with good grub: burgers, pastas, fish. When it was built in 1817 it was only 5 feet from the river now it's 300! However it’s still dark and dingy, full of old sea dog-type and carnivalesque characters.

UPDATE FEB 9th: Ear Bar remains simply unchanged. A great place to meet friends or just sit on your own. Careful with the shots! Also - smoking with your drink allowed out front.

Guy's Diary posts about Ear
TUESDAY 13th JANUARY: OLD SEA DOGS
THURSDAY 22nd JANUARY: CLICK YOUR LEGS TOGETHER

Other Links
New York's Oldest Pubs

Employees Only

Employees Only, 510 Hudson Street (btwn Christopher & West 10th) 212-242-3021 - There's a new bar in the West Village and it got such a write up by the Daily Candy it's as if they got paid to do so:

"Introducing Employees Only, a speakeasy-esque (read: subtly decadent) bar and restaurant. It's fronted by a sextet of impeccably pedigreed owners (Maxwell's Plum, Nell's, Odeon, Lucky Strike, Pravda, Match, Pastis, The Park, and Schiller's) who have heard your cries for help. EO is bound to become the new gold standard of the New York Night. Behind the bar, Jason and Dushan are rewriting the book on mixology...in the kitchen, chef Jeremy is seeing to it that your hand-cut steak tartare is as good as it gets this side of Kobe" etc etc

So I went and had a look. Very nice looking place - bit posh for the corner of Christopher and Hudson and maybe that's a good thing: it's far from the maddening crowds and maybe that will keep the place a little less hectic. Quite a scene in there and even though there was girl with a clipboard, it felt welcoming - even with the psychic in the window! Will return.

Haven't checked the food yet - not too sure what to make of that very positive comment....

UPDATE FEB 9th: Checked the bar again on a Tuesday night. Really nice atmosphere, just the right amount of people. The older bar staff and the guy in the hat checking everyone's got a table etc was a nice touch. The Psychic still there, reading her book.

Gioia

47 Eight Avenue - 212 255 3900 - Gioia is a very new pizza spot in the West Village offering Neopolitan Pizza baked in a stone oven. 25 pizzas, 1 meat, 1 fish, 1 pasta dish. You get my drift.

Opening night was chaos but we hope it settles down.

Guy's Diary Posts About Gioia
Fri 10th Dec : No Joy, eh?

New Greenwich Ave Restaurants

Two new restaurants on Greenwich spotted by the Gothamist: Jones (Comfort American) and Matador (Spanish)

Jones: 41 Greenwhich Ave - 212 255 3606
Matador: 57 Greenwhich Ave - 212 691 0057

If anyone goes, please let us know what they're like!

Pepe Verde

559 Hudson Street (near W11th) - 212 255 2221 - Cheap, cheerful but still classy pasta place for a decent plate of pasta. Serves Panini, insalate, antipasti, paste, contorni and even main courses.

Ideal place to start before visiting a few bars in West Village. But if you can't wait: Pepe Verde has a lunch special for 6.95 between 11 and 4! Does delivery.

Best dish by far is the Penne Spinach & Ricotta w/ Tomato.

5 Ninth / 5 9th

5 9th Avenue (btwn Gansevoort & Little West 12th) 212-929-9460 - An oasis amongst the cattlesheds of Meatpacking. In a converted Town House the place (when I visited) reeked gentle class and sober sophistication.

Zak Pelaccio's cooking spans the globe but has an affinity for Asian ingredients. Innovative twists on soft-shell crabs, ribs, scallops.

The Other Room

<143 Perry Street (& Washington) 212 645 9753 - Dark, candle lit, relaxed, chill beer and wine bar. There are three or four of these dotted around the city (and one in South Beach Miami too!).

If you have no destination, it's a great place to hang out. Or if you're bar hopping in the area - worth a quick Weiss Beer or two en route.

Smokers bench out the front where you can drink in the summer too!

Places to go before or after The Other Room
Spotted Pig for a pint or some gastro-pub food - Greenwich & W11th
West for a river side drink - West Side Highway & W11th

Guy's Diary posts about Other Room
WED 31st MAR : KLEINING UP THE WALLS

Out of the Kitchen

456 Hudson (between Barrow & Morton). Bakery / cafe that makes the best cup cakes in West Village. Yes - sorry to challenge popular belief - even better than the well loved Magnolia!

Check out their cookies too!

Blind Tiger Ale House

518 Hudson (c/o 10th Street) 212.675.3848 - Dive type bar in West Village best ventured earlier in the week when you get friendly service and less of the fratty crowd busting through the bar. Largest number of beers on tap I've seen in the city including over two dozen draught micros.

Other pubs to visit on your Hudson Street Pub Crawl
Du6lin - Modern Irish bar - Bank & Hudson
The White Horse - The grand daddy of dive-pubs. Lots of history. Poet Dylan Thomas dies here after 19 whiskies... Hudson & West 11th

Guy's Diary Posts About Blind Tiger
TUES 27th JANUARY: SNOW WAY
WED 11th AUG : GOOD AND BAD IN ONE DAY

Formerly known as the Old Potato

Bar & Books

c/o Hudson & Horatio, West Village - It's a bit up its arse, but this small cubby hole looks like a gents club, still has a smoking license, and plays Bond films on the TV. Great turkey club sandwich.

In the winter it can get a little too fumy inside as the cigar crowd puff away - but in the summer, you can lounge on the pavement chairs and sup away.

Still need a local puff?
Try the patio at the Maritime Hotel, 9th Ave
Visit the balcony at Park on 10th Ave
Pop out back after a dance at Cielo, Little West 12th
Eat and fume in the back garden at Paradou, Little West 12th

Where to go before or after Bar & Books
A place to meet if you plan to eat is Bivio across the road.

The Spotted Pig

c/o Greenwich Street & West 11th Street, New York 212.620.0393- Owner Ken Friedman brings a new bar / restaurant based on the British Gastropub theme based in the heart of the West Village. The Spotted Pig has a great busy atmosphere in a warm and cozy pub. Worth popping by for a drink, a nibble or a full meal. Even after I first wrote about the place, it's still packed every night.

The 'modern menu' food looks superb: gnudi, sea-bass, cod, pork loin, lamb, orchiette, burger with shoestring fries - and also classics from The River Cafe and Otto. The Chocolate Nemesis is the best chocolate cake pudding I have had since Franks. They tell me that the menu will change frequently but regulars include pansotti with roasted pumpkin and goat cheese, bresaola with raw artichokes and arugula, and pork-and-fennel sausage with polenta and broccoli rabe. Do note, if you're vegetarian, the menu is going to be restrictive... The Burger with Roquefort is wonderful may be an acquired taste.

At the bar they have a very good stout at the bar (Beamish) together with Brooklyn Brewery beers. Go on, try the bitter. Or then again, choose from the impressive wine list.

Not exactly a Westbourne but a great Yankee impression of it!

Website

Subway Stops
1, 9 to Christopher St. - Sheridan Sq.; A, C, E to 14th St.

Guy's Diary posts featuring The Spotted Pig
WED 31st MAR : KLEINING UP THE WALLS
SUN 7th MAR: TAKE OFF TO WHERE?

Where To Go For A Drink Before/After
Turks & Frogs
White Horse on Hudson for an American version of 'pub'

Where To Go If You Can't Get In
Delicia

Cafe Doma

7th Ave & Perry - I wonder how many personal stories will recount Cafe Doma on Perry Street in years to come. The French cafe is a chilled hang out where people seem to sit for hours over their books, their lap-tops, their business plans. The place is a buzz with people interviewing and being interviewed.

This is a rare place where people come and talk about their art, writing, to chill and even consider their future Internet 2.0 plans without embarrassment and who knows - with all the positivity flowing around, the ideas may just work this time!

Menu/Details

Where To Go After Cafe Doma
Wander the red-brick streets of West Village east of here along Perry Street.

Guy's Diary posts about Cafe Doma
TUES 6th JAN : CAFE DOMA DOS

Magnolia

401 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10014 - An institution. The line outside day and night says all about the popularity of the cup cakes at this very Village 'place to be seen'.

The best cakes in the city? Hmmmm.... maybe not but if you're visiting NYC, a worthwhile experience. If you want to try better: I suggest a walk south down the Hudson to 'Out Of The Kitchen'.

Menu

Still undecided about going to Magnolia? The Gothamist reported recently on the competition to find the best cup cakes in New York: read here.

Bivio

Hudson & Horatio - New styled bar for older styled people. Food chalked up ont he baords looks modern and relaxed (yet to try). Small cozy bar space too with slightly aloof bar staff.

Check Restaurant.com for discounts (via printable vouchers) at this restaurant.

Places to go before and after Bivio
Bar & Books - for a sip of wine and a smoke
APT for a lounge or a groove
Passer By for a trashy and tight boogie

Guy's Diary posts on Bivio
THUR 29th JAN: TESTING TIME FOR NEW YORK