Bird In Hand — Restaurant in New York

The reason I go here is to play the pool table at the back. I have celiac disease so I can't speak to the quality of the food due to the risk I'd face eating here from cross contamination. The drinks are a bit overpriced, especially when compared to other options for cocktails in the area. An off the menu cocktail, to my recollection, is around 17 dollars on average here, which compared to the quality and presentation you find at a cocktail focused bar like ROKC in the neighborhood leaves a little to be desired. ROKC is a below street level space that has low occupancy space available, so taking into account the square feet of Bird in Hand, plus the high cost of rent for corner commercial real estate premiums, I understand the necessity for the business owner to price their drinks that way. Even for someone like me who cannot eat the food here, there is a lot on offer here that the premium on drinks covers. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. It reminds me of a classy new Orleans piano lounge. The pool table is free to play, and the patrons tend to be more casual. I don't find sharks monopolizing the table here. Other patrons don't expect you to outplay them one on one to be able to play the next game with your friends or acquaintances you meet there. I only wish the table was available earlier in the day. (They may have changed this policy, but to my knowledge, the table is only available for play after dinner service has ended). Regardless, I would recommend this space to anyone looking for a fancier dining and drinking experience in this neighborhood, who have above average spending power for such an outing. I love the piano at the back of the bar. I'm not sure what it is being used for by the establishment, if anything at the moment. It is very out of tune so would need a little love, but as the vibe of the bar lends itself to it, it would be a cool addition if they don't already, to have new Orleans style jazz nights here, using the pool table area as a stage. @owner if you already have jazz nights please let me know and I'd be excited to attend and maybe join in on the keys! I'd give only 4/5 Stars due to the price if I didn't understand what I think is the reasoning behind it. The staff were very considerate and the bartenders even bring your drinks to you after service hours when they are able, so that you can return to your table, or pool game, without...

Was excited to see a new cocktail bar open in the area. The ambiance is nice and prices are reasonable, bartender was nice. My wife and I got three drinks in total; unfortunately nothing was amazing. The Only Fans (vodka, guava, lemon) did not taste of guava and wasn't sweet enough, and it wasn't clear how the shot of sparkling wine on the side was supposed to be used. The elote margarita was balanced but the corn flavor did not come through (I've read about this liqueur being overpowering so was surprised when I couldn't taste it). And the Belafonte (tea-infused bourbon, peach, lemon, Amaro Nonino) was decent but didn't really stand out. The peach came through, which is nice. I like bitterness in my drinks but I'm not sure the bitter from the tea works well in a lighter cocktail like this. I don't know if these issues were because of poor recipes or poor technique but they may want to review the cocktail menu and the QC on how they're being prepared. I think it would be nice to have more inventive spirit forward drinks on the menu (and not just classic cocktails). I plan to go back, maybe after they've been officially open for longer, and see if it was just an off night or if they have any...

Ambiance was great, food not so much. I’ve been eyeing this new place in my neighborhood for a while now and was excited to try it. My friend and I decided to finally try it out after seeing they were participating in restaurant week and had a prefix menu. For appetizer she had the wings (Asian) and was underwhelmed. I had the fried cauliflower. The cauliflower was tasty. Sadly that was probably the best part of our meal. For the entrees my friend had the fried chicken dish. It came with tasty mashed potatoes and collard greens that were too salty. I had the vegan option. It was an over battered and over fried mushroom that came with the same salty collard greens and the worse cauliflower mash I’ve ever had. It was extra disappointing since when I asked the waitress she had told me the dish came with mashed potatoes. I expressed to her that I was expecting mashed potatoes and I did not like the cauliflower mash. All she did was apologize. The dessert was a dry “lava” chocolate cake though the icecream it came with was tasty. Anyhow, with so many great spots in the neighborhood, this is not one I will be running back to. I did not try any cocktails and those looked interesting. Maybe I’ll go back...