kashkaval, casellula, hotel qt or tonic

[tracyk]

looking for a casual place to meet for a drink right after work.
want something "new york" feeling, as i'm meeting an out of towner, but not embarrassingly trendy.

how do these stack up?
thanks!

[eriny]

Casellula right after work won't be too crowded. I've been recently on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays around 6:30 and have always found a spot at the bar and it's relatively low-key. It gets busier later in the evening, but not what I would consider overwhelming.

[psawce]

I would try the bar at Marseille on 44th and 9th. It's big and beatiful and nice for a drink. Kashkaval is not as "meet for a drink" friendly. Hudson Hotel is both trendy and cheesey. Def not Tonic mainly - too close to Times Square.

[Westrite]

Casellula. Thoughtful wine list and they do serve beer -- I don't think they serve cocktails. Get some cheese or a small snack. Reasonable prices and noise level. Not trendy, tragic or over the hill. Blue Ribbon is also a good suggestion. The Hudson Hotel -- ehh, check out the pictures online first. It might be a little "trendy" for an out of towner (even tho it is a little over the hill trend-wise).

[Nina_P]

Actually Casellula is so extremely packed and loud these days it is tragic. The staff acts laid back and relaxed to excess (making eye contact within 10 minutes is too much effort for some of them), but the customers sure aren't, unless they're drunk. It's a pity because the food is great.

[Westrite]

Really, right after work? Maybe I've been catching it at lucky times because I haven't experienced that sort of crowd yet and the staff has been good. But that makes me sad. Food is great.

[fooodie]

Tonic is just your typical NY sports bar. QT has a pool in the bar, defintely trendy and amusing to see once. Haven't been to the other two places. If you can head up near Columbus Circle you should defintely check out the bar at the Hudson Hotel, but drinks are not cheap.

[dkstar1]

definitely not kaskaval. Service is horrendous for one thing and its not really a) New York-like b) a drink place. Tonic is also not recommended. Since its sort of near kashkaval, I'd recommend the bar at Blue Ribbon Sushi and Grill...to go slightly trendier...go to the Hudson Hotel a few doors down from Blue Ribbon Sushi and Grill.