What Makes a Good Bar
Where to Drink in New York
Is there a bar crisis? I think so. It’s getting harder to find a place to drink properly in surroundings that aren’t theatrical or test your hearing. Why is that? Fewer people want to sit inside and drink. Probably a good thing. What’s harder to navigate are restaurants and bars that are over-designed, over-schemed with the intention of over-stimulating people who just want to have a beer with a friend or, perish the thought, read a newspaper in peace!
New York should have places where you feel the energy of the city. That’s why Balthazar exists. But we also need places that are more discrete. We’re running out of bars where you can actually talk.
So what makes a good bar, in the year of our lord, 2024? Here are some principles about bar success and places that get the equation right.
1/ A Sense of Familiarity. A bar should be a place you return to. Ideally, it’s not too bright, probably not too dark. You should recognize the menu. A good bar shouldn’t ask too much of you.
2/ A Professional Staff. A bartender is a dignified job, part server, part host, occasional conversational partner. It’s a unique position. I went into Walker’s the other day and the bartender was an older, New York type, handsome, greying hair, probably an actor or artist at one time (maybe still at this time!). He had an easy manner, a familiarity with the sports scene, probably not all that particular about how to make a martini, but good company. You don’t go to Walker’s for Pilsner not precision.