Barbes

12/04/06

Anise drink grotto.

by emeraldcoupdegrace at Citysearch

Ever since discovering the joys and wonders of licorice tasting drinks, I have been looking for a friendly bar that served anise spirits, (Emerald green or otherwise).

I have located a pixie grotto in Brooklyn where these elixirs flit.

It?s called Barbes and it is now my home.

Everything about this place is wondrous, from the engraved tin ceiling to the dim romantic red glow of the place.

Cabinet type windows look into the performance space ? and one of these is guarded by on old French Zoltar fortune teller type bust.

I overheard one soused punter mistaking the bust for the performance space ticket taker.

Barbes hosts an amazing array of exceptional performers, but I was so taken aback with the friendliness of the barman and the people cramming the place I never made it into the second room!

The first drink I ordered was a modern Absinthe, called Absente.

This was delivered with accompanying carafe of ice water as it should. A unusually French looking girl asked me about it and I explained that it was Absinthe with the Grande Wormwood exchanged with a less bitter cousin called Southern-Wormwood, also known as "Petite Absinthe,"

I noticed a preponderance of good looking guys with shaved heads and black rimmed glasses. Including myself and the bartender and inventor of the delicious Bar Belle ? a Citron Cosmopolitan with a splash of Campari, Ricard and a twist of some sort of peel? the red lighting was washing out my rods and cones and I couldn?t see what color the peel was? but one sip of it and I was relaxing in the anise flavored winds of Pontarlier.

The anise drink menu makes it compulsory for me but I assure you the place is magic for anyone.

Review by The Wez.

• Pros: Anise drinks, Service, cosy.

07/24/05

A very cool bar!

by chabela007 at Citysearch

A very cool bar with a French name. Its nice atmosphere and great entertainment with all types of music performed, sometimes filmstrips -- Monday nights are international film, Tuesdays readings. Also, they offer a real Irish session, a ragtime band or rumba later in the week. I love taking my friends over there -- they really enjoy it. Whenever I go I always meet very interesting, well-travelled and -learned people.

• Pros: People, Conversations, Music
• Cons: Size

06/18/03

Cool with out trying

by trebla at Citysearch

A very friendly little place. I was there on a tuesday night and there was a clesmer jam. It was great. The owners know what they are doing. Try it you'll like it.

• Pros: Atmosphere
• Cons: Too far from my house