05/31/07

The opposite of cool

by oxtail

Walked in after dinner in great spirits ready to drink and have a good time but the bartenders were too busy trying to BE COOL which is hard to do when your bar is completely dead. I was a bartender in nyc a few years back and totally understand the bartender attitude, but COME ON! This place is not Studio 54, not even close...and the bartenders don't have anything else going on LAAAAAAME.

04/25/07

If you like hand-crafted coctails, give Rye a shot

by gjagiello

The bartenders here are very skilled, and make coctails the "right" way -- they don't cut corners, which means your drink might take 5 minutes to make. They stirr, whisk, shake, and serve with care...basically, how I make my coctails at home for special guests. The results are really great -- in particular, I enjoyed the rye Manhattan, hand built and complete with brandied cherry (not some neon pink pseudo-cherry). Also enjoyed some other more exotic combinations once they won me over with the Manhattan, like a basil something-or-other (sorry, I forget, but it was awesome!) and some infused vodkas. I don't enjoy the crowds on weekend nights, but there are plenty of off-times I can grab a drink or 2 at the bar with less of a circus atmosphere. Recommended!

• Pros: Hand-crafted coctails made with extreme care
• Cons: Super crowded and loud on weekend nights

03/26/07

Don't go during hunting season

by bobbycatskillz

Well I tell you what, I have been coming to Rye since before it was Rye, back when it was old Buzz Leroy's place. Back then it was more of an opium den than anything else, but now there seems to be quite a few folks drinkin them damn fancy drinks and wearin thier damn zoot suits. So you can get a feel for what type of space this here Rye USED TO BE, im gonna tell you about the 1965 hunting season where Smokey, Mack, and I spent 20 straight hours in Rye holding off vampires until day break. We must have been there from Dusk Till Dawn! Come to think of it, it was a lot like that movie with that young feller George Clooney...I wish i could remember the damn name. Anyways I'd say that Rye is a damn fine place to wet your wistle, but ill give you two words of advice: Don't ever go there during huntin season and stay away from the bar maid Tina. She don't take kindly to havin her caboose squeezed.

• Pros: Barmaid Tina has a fine caboose
• Cons: Barmaid Tina don't let you touch her caboose

08/23/06

Meh

by alifsonleu

the bar has a nice space, pretty drinks, and good location, but the crowd is way too yuppy, and trying way to hard.

05/21/06

Definitely coming back

by ssnki

The barstaff is incredibly friendly. It's refreshing to meet a female bartender that doesn't give attitude to female patrons--ladies, you know what I'm talking about!

They also have a great drink menu.

Tell your friends!

• Pros: friendly barstaff, great drinks, nice crowd

02/28/06

What a great addition to night life in the city

by deressegne

Very clean modern and perfectly designed. This bar has everything for everyone from a pool table in the back, a designated smoking area that is open, a booth and a separate large space seating area. The service is excellent. The bar staff/owners are probably the most mellow but attentive bartenders I have ever met.

02/23/06

Great new place......

by djteej

I went there the week after they opened. Since I am in the industry, of course I had to check out the new place. The bartender/co-owner was awesome. The drinks were great and they have a great little sitting area to smoke while enjoying your beverage and wathcing the people go by. I just would like to see earlier hours on the weekend, it would be a great place to go after work (3pm) and have a drink and wind down. Also a groovy/house dj would be another plus.

Swanky two-room bar lures neighborhood trendsetters and downtown theatergoers to the Tenderloin.

by Contributor

In Short
The front room of this airy, loft-like lounge boasts dark green walls, a sleek wooden bar, a vintage pool table and an oversized chalk mural of a street scene. In the spacious adjacent room, a rack filled with wine bottles lines the back wall from floor to ceiling, while sleek low tables and leather ottomans spill onto an outdoor smoking patio. The well-dressed, 30-something crowd quaffs specialty cocktails, such as basil-infused gimlets, as well as brews and wines.