Elsa — Restaurant in New York

Elsa is pretty much the only reason that you'll find me in Alphabet City. It's incredibly out of the way, far from the subway station, and getting here means you have to traverse East Village. Nonetheless, this place is quite an amazing bar, with great atmosphere, and equally great drinks. Elsa isn't a large cocktail bar by any means. However, I've never had trouble getting a table, and maneuvering throughout this establishment.

Elsa's atmosphere is pretty laid back. Sure it can get a little noisy at times, but it's not to an unbearable level like at McSorley's. When you walk in, you're greeted with the bar on the right hand side. There are bar stools if you want to drink at the bar, but for those who want to sit down, there are tables galore. Even on a Friday night around midnight, the longest I've had to wait for a table was roughly around 20 minutes. Not too shabby at all. The lighting here is dim, which give it that slightly intimate feel. The noise level does throw it off a little bit, but it's still a pretty laid place to sit down, have a conversation, and drink in the process. If you're looking to get away from the typical East Village crowd, then you'll catch a break at Elsa. Sure, everyone's in the late-20s and early 30-s but you won't be seeing guys throw back shots of Jameson or doing Irish car bombs.

Drink-wise, I've always gone with either the Manhattan or Old Fashioned. These drinks are made to precision, and thankfully, are nice and strong. The prices are pretty normal for cocktails, and thank god this place takes credit cards. In the end, if you're looking for a place to grab some nice drinks and actually not have to shout to have a conversation, then Elsa can be your spot. The staff is laid back, drinks are good, and the prices aren't going to...

Oh so many people packed here on a Saturday night. Luckily my friend reserved a table in the back for us otherwise you can still hang by the bar.

This place is super romantic but not quiet or fancy dress up place. You can come in Jean and t-shirt but if you want to impress that date, you should make a little effort. I don't see any food on the menu but there are a couple pizzaria around the corner or Mediterranean food.

Drinks. They make some mean stuff. All broken down in the categories like gin, whiskey or rum and on and on. I enjoyed their gin section Happy hour is 5 to 7pm with like 6 to 7 option for half the price. Beside that, it will be the typical NYC price for drinks. I still can't rationalize the cost of alcohol. If I go down this road, this whole review page will be about that. Anyway, the drink comes with funny names which you can read on the attached image.

Service is great and remember...

I la la love Elsa. I have a particular attachment to it because my husband and I frequented their old location in the East Village. We even went there the night we got engaged. The old location was pretty and warm. The new location in BK is gorgeous. The bar and banquette seating are so thoughtfully designed. I could sit there for hours sampling cocktails... and did. Try the Perfume V if you enjoy a flip. The Handsome Grandson is a refreshing gin cocktail. I also like the Self Portrait, which tastes like an elevated margarita. Food-wise they have a olives, roasted nuts, and a cheese plate, all of which looked good. Aside from the fun cocktails, they have a good wine and beer selection. Their prices are totally reasonable considering how good the ambiance is. This is a can't miss...