Anyway Cafe

"Perfect For: Lots Of Vodka/Willing To Let It Get Weird || Anyway Cafe is an old, arty Russian bar in the East Village where you can share a flight of infused vodkas for $18. It's an incredibly fun place to drink and hang out for hours, but probably don't bring your old boss or new intern here, unless they really like horseradish vodka." - hillary reinsberg

"We have fond memories of drinking chalice-sized martinis while listening to an accordionist or three-piece bands play in the corner of the small, dark space at this East Village Russian spot. Now Anyway Cafe is bringing the same swirl-your-vodka energy outside. They have musicians who play inside with all of the doors open almost every night." - hannah albertine

"The East Village standby known for its borscht martinis closed its doors this week, after being open since 1995. Now ex-employees have formed a corporation to plot something new, not under the Anyway Cafe name, according to EV Grieve." - Emma Orlow

"When the martini mood strikes and your freezer is out of vodka, head to Anyway Cafe’s outdoor area for Russian snacks, live guitar, and all of the vodka-based cocktails you could ever want." - hannah albertine, matt tervooren

"You could walk by Anyway Cafe in the East Village for years without ever noticing it. But after your first sip of dill or black pepper-infused vodka at this Russian bar and restaurant, it’ll be top of mind whenever you want to get vaguely drunk on martinis while sedentary (there’s no standing room here). Everyone in this place seems to be ordering martinis in multiples of at least two, and when the server brings yours over, you’ll have to lean over and sip like a cat to avoid sloshing it all over your candle-lit table. The live accordion or Spanish guitar might tempt you to order a third, but be careful. A wise stranger at a table over once gave us some good advice: “Martinis are like nipples, you should only have two.”" - Arden Shore