ISO intimate east/west village bars

[emerilcantcook]

30ish couple staying between the villages, with zero taste for both meatmarkets or yuppie bars, seeking for bars with relaxed atmosphere but serious drinks. Staying for 5 days, and would like to wrap our evenings with a couple of drinks before we head to our studio. We like good scotch, wine, and non-froufrou drinks. We like indie music (whatever that means these days), but also would like to chat so no loud places please. Can you help with some recommendations to make our visit more memorable? Merci!

[iFat]

Little Branch might work for you guys if you want to head west: http://littlebranch.net/
Also, Shoolbreads on 2nd ave bet 12th and 13th has been great lately especially now that the doors/front is all open

[cimui]

i love the drinks at Little Branch, but in truth, it does fall in the yuppie bar with froufrou drinks category.

V-Bar on sullivan st. and w. 3rd is a cozy, low-key coffee shop / wine and bottled beer bar with pretty nice selections of each (tho red wines are served a bit too warm and whites a bit too cold). no hard liquors of any sort. barkeeps are EMO-types who play a continuous soundtrack of obscure indie rock.

[KTinNYC]

Temple Bar is intimate but they most likely will not be playing the music you're looking for. It's pretty hard to find relaxed atmospheres in the neighborhoods you are going to be around from Thursday through Saturday your options are much better if you are out and about Sunday to Wednesday.

[thew]

relaxed bar - redhead

low key, stylish, good cocktails - b flat (tribeca), little branch, pegu club.
slightly less low key, stylish good cocktails - PDT, angels share

[KTinNYC]

Every time I've been to Redhead it's just a mob scene with people 2-3 deep at the bar waiting for tables, YMMV.

[thew]

i guess i've always been in there fairly early.

[kathryn]

It's fine on the early side but starts to get really superpacked around 8:30, 9pm, even on weeknights.

[kathryn]

Best scotch list in town - Keens. They have flights. It's like you went back in time when you go in there. Highly recommended for visitors.

Serious cocktails in NYC (fresh juices, house made bitters, jiggers, simple syrup) usually means no standing which makes them, overall, not super loud but still a nice atmosphere if full. However, it also means the best time to go is really early (before 7pm) or on an "off" night like Sunday - Wednesday.

My favorites:
Death & Co (no standing, very eclectic soundtrack of oldies/newer stuff)
PDT (no standing, reservations recommended, otherwise get there at 6pm and sit at the bar, bartenders' iPods are the soundtrack and usually have a mix of hiphop-indierock-hipster music)
Mayahuel (no standing, brand new mixology bar based upon tequila drinks, plays Latin-inspired music)
Brandy Library (highly recommended if you like whiskey/scotch/brandy/etc., they do tasting flights, no standing, not super loud, jazz standards soundtrack, you can smoke cigars in the front patio area)
Tailor's downstairs lounge (standing allowed, can be packed on weekend nights, I think they play hipster music)
Pegu Club (ditto, jazzy soundtrack)
Flatiron Lounge (same IIRC)
Yerba Buena (the front bar of this restaurant gets loud especially as people are waiting for a table for dinner, can't remember type of music, but the drinks are awesome and big and cheaper than other places)
Milk & Honey (reservations REQUIRED, jazz standards for the soundtrack, very reasonable noise level - milkandhoneynyc.com)

[kathryn]

Oh, for wine, The Monday Room is excellent. It's this room set up as a study/library inside of the restaurant Public. Make a reservation. It's pretty chill and they have a great selection of wines.

[cimui]

Almost all of these are "yuppie bars" with "froufrou drinks" (in emerilcantcook's words). I personally enjoy the drinks at many of the places you list, but they don't sound like what the OP is looking for.

[kathryn]

To me "relaxed atmosphere but serious drinks" is a little contradictory a bit with no "yuppie bars" / no "froufrou drinks" ... what would you have recommended? I interpreted "froufrou drinks" to be more like the <insert fruit name here>-tini variety.

[cimui]

Sounds like wines and scotches are ok ("We like good scotch, wine, and non-froufrou drinks.") Brandy Library could be a good fit.

PDT, Pegu, Flatiron Lounge and Tailor are crowded and loud, not too relaxed.

I'm also guessing that jalapeno chocolate passionfruit infusions, eggwhite foams and solid cocktails (a la Tailor, Milk & Honey, Pegu, especially) count as "frou frou" but maybe OP him/herself should clarify.

It sounds to me like he/she might be looking for straight-up, high quality liquors and wines. I think V-Bar could work for the laid-back vibe and Indie music, though wines are not perfectly maintained. Also, perhaps Angel's Share, early evening, could work, with its well-maintained bourbon, scotch and whisky, served simply over a giant, slow-melting ice cube. I know some complain about staff being curt at peak hours, but I've actually never encountered anyone there who was less than polite.

[emerilcantcook]

< I interpreted "froufrou drinks" to be more like the <insert fruit name here>-tini variety.>

Exactly. I don't mind an upscale place if the drinks are good and interesting. Fruittinis don't excite me. I didn't want to sound sexist, (heck I am a woman as well), but "girly" drinks that sound more like desserts are not my thing. I like good innovative cocktails with fresh ingredients, and don't mind paying good money for scotch. However, I don't enjoy bars straight out of American Psycho or places where beautiful people go to see other beautiful people while drinking crappucinitinis with whip cream on top.

Thanks everyone, for a lively discussion and many recommendations.

[Pan]

"crappucinitinis"

LOL!

[LeahBaila]

N (in Soho)
The outdoor space at La Lanterna Caffe
The Room (Soho)
The Randolph (Nolita)

www.thelunchbelle.com