While staying on the Upper West Side for some meetings, I had the opportunity to visit a number of interesting bars on or just off Amsterdam Avenue between around 79th and 82nd streets.
In order of visits, they were:
- The Gin Mill
- Cava
- Dead Poet
- 420
- Jake's Dilemma
The Gin Mill and Jake's were the best of the bunch in terms of the great dive bar ambiance (see The Horsehoe and Little Shamrock in San Francisco or the Capitol Lounge in DC). The Gin Mill was having a very happy happy hour during my visit and the bar was loud and crowded. The drinks, however, were practially free! Three drinks (for our group) for around $12 (with a liberal tip). I visted Jake's on a Monday, just after 5 pm, and it was pretty quiet, a couple people shooting pool, some playing beer pong and one or two at the bar. Again, great happy hour prices and we added some tasty nachos to the table. Both spots, great finds.
Cava was a much different spot, focused on wine. Nice tasteful wood paneling with bottles from their extensive collection lining the upper walls. On a nice spring afternoon, the best part was the large windows that opened up onto 80th Street.
Since the night was still young and some of the group was a bit chilled by the open windows, so we moved on to The Dead Poet. A loud, crowded Irish pub, we found a table for our group and focused on a selection of Smithwicks and Guiness.
After a lovely dinner at Isabel's, a small group of us stopped off at 420 for a little nightcap. The place was nearly empty and nice and quiet for some shop talk. The bartender was cheerful and helpful and made for nice end of the day.
Gin Mill
Meal: Drinks
Rating: ***
Date: 21 March 2010
Address: 442 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY
Website: http://www.nycbestbar.com/ginmill/
Cava Wine Bar
Meal: Drinks
Rating: ****
Date: 21 March 2010
Address: 185 West 80th Street, New York, NY 10024
Website: http://www.cavanyc.com/
Dead Poet
Meal: Drinks
Rating: **
Date: 21 March 2010
Address: 450 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024
Website: http://www.thedeadpoet.com/
420
Meal: Drinks
Rating: ****
Date: 21 March 2010
Address: 420 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024
Website: N/A
Jake's Dilemma
Meal: Drinks
Rating: ****
Date: 22 March 2010
Address: 430 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024
Website: http://www.nycbestbar.com/jakes/
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