Guy Brighton's New York Guide

Lower East Side Cafes & Tiny Restaurants

Gridskipper has a write up on three recommended tiny cafes and restaurants in the Lower East Side:

Tiny’s Giant Sandwich Shop: "The first of the small fries, Tiny’s caters to the sandwich crowd."

Little Giant: "The people who pay 8 bucks for lunch aren’t the same ones laying down 10 dollars for a watermelon salad or 23 for scallops & summer succotash, by far the best dish on the menu."

Teany’s: "It is amazing such a wet-noodle pop star as Moby could create a warm a place as Teany’s but that’s just what the gnome did."

The Little East Side - Gridskipper

Starbucks LES

Allen & Delancey. Rumor has it, it's actually OK! Link

The Stanton Social

99 Stanton Street, NY 10002 - 212 995 0099 - OK, so the Stanton Social is the look of things to come in Lower East Side. Sure, I imagine some of the old locals and the hipsters hate the place but there's no denying that LES is changing. Around the corner the Rivington Hotel now opened - it's tall glass structure juxtaposed against the tenement buildings.

If you're looking for a more upmarket bar in LES this is it. Go upstairs, and yes it's full of Upper East and West Side tourists and yes it don't have an 'edge' but at the same time it's buzzing, busy and a little more fun than Pianos ever was.

And as for the restaurant? Supposedly American/French/Japanese/Sushi/Thai. Take me there!

Welcome To The Johnsons

Welcome To The Johnsons, 123 Rivington Street - A bar that's set up like a suburban house that looks like your student digs when you were 21: a decent size bar with several rocky types hanging out, sticky carpet, dodgy furniture and a pool table out back surrounded by hipster dudes with their silent girls. A good place to start / freak out folk coming into town.

I think they still have Pabst and a shot of whiskey for a $4 special. If not, they should do.

Bars To Go After Welcome To The Johnsons
Check out WTTJ's sister bars on Rivington: 151, Loisada & Belly.

151 Rivington

151 Rivington Street - Decent dark and happening basement bar on Rivington in Lower East Side that packs out about midnight. Think 'rock'. At the weekend a DJ spins from a single turntable at the end of the bar.

Doesn't have a sign on the door. Look out for smokers hanging outside. (Feb 18/04)

UPDATE FEB 11th 05: Still the cool little rocky place that I remember. Avoid drinking too many shots of vodka with your beer.

Places To Go After 151
Check out the fun but trashy drinking den Johnsons at 123 Rivington
Get yourself up to Ludlow or Orchard Street for a bit of a bar crawl

Guy's Diary posts about 151
FRIDAY 16th JANUARY : DOG HOUSE FOR SALE

Lower East Side, Over. Official

Luxe Invasion: http://nypost.com/entertainment/21549.htm

I like this quote:

Though located a bit north of the Lower East Side, Lit suffers an influx of weekend warriors.

"Lit's a dive bar; it's a rock bar," Consoli says. "People who live on the Upper East Side - their idea of getting crazy is to go hang out with the punk rock kids. But they don't really like to hang out with these people; they don't really like this music.

Loreley

7 Rivington (&Bowery) 212.253.7077 - A dozen German brews on draft, another dozen in bottles. Beer garden out back but I wouldn't go for the food in the brightly lit back half of the bar.

Angel

174 Orchard St - 212 780 0313 (off Houston) - Long narrow hang out in the centre of Lower East Side's bar crawl.

One Thursday night I've been here and it's full of a lively crowd, they're offering free beer and we're having a great time. Another Thursday nigth I go there - it's 9.45pm and there are 5 people there....

Worth checking out on the later side of night.

Guy's Diary Posts on Angel
Thurs 18th Dec : Smokin
Thurs 29th Apr : Oasis the desert

Cafe Lika

191 Orchard Street (off Houston) - 212 982 4770 - If you ignore the 'Turkish-Techno' decor in the inside of this spacious restaurant and make your way through to the back, you'll find a medetranian-style courtyard (with fountain/ ignore overshaddowing tenement blocks).

The food is supposed to be great - but great place to hang when the sun shines, smoke cigarettes (courtyard only) and drink Hoegardens.

Where to go after Cafe Lika
Angel bar Across the street or any of the bars on Orchard Street
151 on Rivington

Guy's diary posts on Cafe Lika
THURS 29th APR : OASIS THEN DESERT

Milk and Honey

134 Eldridge Street, New York, 212 625 3897 - discreet bar deep in Lower East Side where you have to phone in advance to get in: they'll call you back when a booth becomes available. A little up its arse and not quite a speak-easy - it's a narrow bar with booths to sit with your friends (4+) and listen to the jazz and sip the great cocktails ($10).

It doesn't have the bar area I was expecting - so no socialising (alto' the rules don;t allow it). But once I settled in I was happy to listen to the jazz and chat to my friends.

Check the rules in the rest rooms!

Places to go before or after Milk & Honey
151 Rivington for a basement booze
Bars on Orchard Street