Bar B — Restaurant in New York

I had no idea about Bar B until a friendly guy sitting next to me on a flight from BKK told me about it. I was intrigued that it was an Italian-inspired standing bar with a Japanese owner. I’d been to Basta Pasta over the years, but had no idea they had a bar—when you look carefully, the “b” is actually the same exact font.

I finally came here this week with a friend and we absolutely loved it. It’s a small place and when we arrived past 6pm, it was already full. But the staff was able to set up a table for us outside.

We ordered: Sea Scallops Carpaccio ($13+) Chicken Skewers ($13+) Penne Amatriciana ($16+) Crème Brûlée ($11+)

Everything we ordered was delicious and I would recommend them all. Drinks, they have happy hour until 7pm, which was great—especially since it includes prosecco for $8+.

There was a consistent flow of people, with a line outside at times. It was a chilly evening and got so cold we asked to go inside once a space opened up. The staff was attentive and very helpful.

It’s a small place and may be hard to get in, but I will be back for sure, to try more of their...

I’d wanted to check out Bar B forever, but had always found its tiny, narrow confines filled to capacity. On a cold night, a friend and I finally got in and we had one of those fantastic “only in NYC” unexpected experiences, an awesome way to start the new year.

First, Bar B reminds me of the intimate little chef-run spots you find while wandering through narrow backstreets of Barcelona, Lisbon, or Tokyo. Second, the staff is fantastic: warm, attentive, and fun. The vibes are impeccable. Third, the food and drink are terrific and fairly priced. We had aperitivo spritzes to drink and sampled everything from the yummy potato salad to the juicy chicken skewers to an awesome daily special of shrimp and mushrooms in a lick-your-fingers-good garlic sauce. We topped it off with a seasonally perfect chestnut crème brûlée.

We had lively, cheerful new year conversations with neighbors at the bar and Bar B drew us all together, whether originally from Japan, Jamaica, Georgia (the country), Ghana, or Maine, but all now New Yorkers. A lovely night out to start the year....

We had some time to kill so were looking for a happy hour to fill the time. This spot is fascinating.

For one, there are no seats. You order at the bar, watch them cook at the bar, and stand at the bar for the entirety of your experience (there are some outdoor tablets if you're so inclined, to be fair, about 2-3 tables). The happy hour isn't great: there is $1 off the red wine of choice (chianti, which we did not particularly enjoy) and the white wine of choice (the white). The menu is all over the place from a cheese plate to full steak ($19?). Don't think there are any food happy hour options. I would be interested in trying more of the food menu. But in terms of coming here for a happy hour drink, not doing yourself any favors.

I will say though, that the decor is awesome. The walls and ceiling are adorned with corks in various shapes and designs (seriously, look up). They're doing a lot with the space they exist in but probably wouldn't need...