"Banzarbar is a fancy cocktail bar behind an unmarked door on the second floor of Freemans (the restaurant at the end of an alley, that looks like the living room of a rich person’s hunting lodge) on the LES. There are about 10 bar seats in the dark space, along with a few two-person, candle-lit tables along the wall, and they serve cocktails, small seafood bites, and “The Kraken” - a whole tempura-fried octopus. Despite looking like a battered sea monster, this massive portion of octopus is actually pretty good. They also do a five-course tasting menu that involves low-ABV cocktails, if you're looking to make a full night of it. We'd recommend this place for a date, especially if one of you is a fan of themed bars and/or speakeasies." - Matt Tervooren
