Amor y Amargo — Restaurant in New York

Amor y Amargo on the Lower East Side is a great bar and one of the best spots in the city for cozy cocktails and great conversation. The music is well-selected and the cocktails themselves are complex and very special, owing to the head bartender's training in the culinary arts.

I have many fond memories of the bar, have bought bitters bottles there, brought many friends there, and had so many memorable conversations with genteel strangers that I consider it my favorite bar in New York. It has an atmosphere like no other.

I am taking two stars off only because of a single unpleasant experience I had at the bar several years ago. I had gone with a friend during the early evening in the summer, and upon approaching the uncrowded bar we were asked for our IDs. We handed them over immediately and I casually and non-fretfully remarked to my friend that I had never been asked for ID before seeing the menu or ordering at a standing bar before. At Death and Company down the street, you are asked for ID by a host before entering the premises, which has a less jarring affect. from the guest's point of view, we should at least be able to glance at the menu before being asked for identification. In any case, the head bartender came back, glowered at me, and said that I looked like I was thirteen years old. He said that he had the right to ask for anyone's ID before they entered the premises if he wanted to and could kick us out as he saw fit. This was all unfortunately spoken in a condescending manner. Unfazed, I told the bartender that I wasn't criticizing him -- I was just making a curious remark to my friend about my experience - no argument here. I could see how the bartender might have misunderstood me, which is why I wanted to clarify the situation. In any case, we left it at that and had our drinks without further conflict. No apology or even an invitation to reconciliation over this little scuffle.

I know this small incident may seem minor, and in totality it is, but I do feel that it's particularly unacceptable at a place like Amor y Amargo and thus worth mentioning in this review. Amor y Amargo is an exceptional, high-end bar. I've worked years as a bartender in the service industry, and one of the core tenets of that industry's best practices is that the guest should feel welcome and have the best experience possible. Unless a guest is being dangerous or belligerent, the server should not hector them or make negative comments on their remarks, even if they are disagreeable. This is hospitality 101. The head bartender has remarked in his cocktail recipe book (which I purchased) that he "has a sometimes gruff personality." I understand this and totally respect that, but that personality should be checked at the door when dealing with anyone except the most insufferable customer. Even though Amor y Amargo is a very popular bar and people sometimes form a line out the door (well-deserved), that's not an excuse to lower the quality of the hospitality of the place. If anything, it should be the opposite. Anything less is a betrayal of what it means to be a good bartender, because it's not all about the drinks. I've worked in Japan, and while they take service to an extreme at times, they at least get right the idea that customers are to be treated with respect always, even when they seem to be saying something impudent, and even when they look young. If you must engage, at least do so in good faith in the event of a misunderstanding.

I've been to the bar many times when many different bartenders were working and had great experiences almost every time except for this one. I will keep going back to Amor y Amargo and hope that they will give some thought to preventing needlessly unpleasant interactions like these...

Brown, Bitter & Stirred.

That is the key phrase you’ll take away from coming to this East Village cocktail bar.

Sure it’s small and sure you have dozens, of top cocktail programs in the country within stone’s throw from them, but they are doing such unique work that even a cocktail nerd like me had to take notice. Having been to PDT, Death & Co, Angel’s Share and Booker & Dax already. Amor y Amargo was sort of last on my list to try. I love each place for different reasons and AyA because of what I learned. I’m not actually in the industry as many would think based on who I know and drink knowledge I’ve learned, so to take an actual cocktail class was enlightening to say the least. Their ability to make drinks without citrus and their ability to batch drinks taking into consideration dilution, temperature and consistency is amazing. They pride themselves on working a room and getting drinks in hands quickly.

Having booked a class ahead of time I decide to come in on a trip beforehand to see if I could endear myself with the staff as I often do. I was lucky enough to come in at open and belly up to the bar and have an in depth conversation with them. We discussed so much it really made. The décor isn’t as nice as other cocktail bars in the area, but that’s not what they are going for. NYC is a well educated cocktail city now, through the likes of many forebearers, but this bitters aspect is still young and in it’s infancy so there is this learning curve they are having with people, even the locals.

Ok, I love drinks and drink a lot, so yes my budget can get out of hand, but the value of coming here versus many other places already named is hard to beat. I went with the Sharpie Mustache which is served in a glass flask, that ish is basically on tap. They have a small staff and they credit each drink with the creator in their menu which is cool. Diamonds and guns really makes your mouth water with the celery bitters, gin, chartreuse. I went with the Fernet flight (that valet is like chocolate for fernet lovers) and the Chartreuse flight (what a value for the VEP). Guatemalan Square was a nice combination of a few classics, but ultimately they were impressed with my cocktail game and a flight and my last was on them. They were happy to see my the next day for their class where my fellow students were on equal footing and went straight for the complex stuff which tested their curriculum. It was a fluid conversation that you didn’t want to end.

In the 2 minutes they spend teaching you about the families will set you straight on how to order at any other bar, so take note.

It’s impressive to tell people you’ve been to PDT and Death & Co, but the nights you won’t forget happen at Angels’s share. Holding a conversation at Booker & Dax shows you come from the foodie world and aren’t just spitting off rhetoric. AyA to me is a place that’s sort of making it’s own path and new style...

Hey Management!

Just want to start off by saying that I genuinely love this place and have come a few times. I always suggest this as a place that people have to visit since its so great! I came in with a party of 7 on Friday night 6/28 and whomever was serving on the floor was very rude and to be honest displayed behavior that I really havent seen in my 15 years of hospitality. One of my guests had to go use the restroom upon arriving (we were already there enjoying a few drinks) and he yelled at her when she went straight to the restroom thinking she was just coming in from the street to use it not being a paying customer. Even if that were the case there is a way to tell someone that they cannot do that and have to be a paying customer. Instead he handled it extremely poorly. Then after learning she was a part of our party he came over and continued to actually yell at her like she was a child. Lecturing her how she needs to be a paying customer before using the bathroom… she was.. and he said NOT YET YOU ARENT. I of course had to ask for the check because i couldnt sit there and enjoy anything with my friend being talked to like that. They comped a drink and told me not to tip.(which i did anyways)I don’t know why he was so against us as most of us in the group are from hospitality or customer service positions and are perfectly nice people that spend money and love cocktails. Just a shame that this light was shed on this place since I give it such...