Bret K.
Yelp
We stumbled upon this little gem while trekking around downtown this past weekend. We both looked at each other as we settled into the comfy rooftop booth and said, "We have to come back here more often!" It was a little busy when we walked in, and being our first time there we weren't aware of the nuances of the site, so let me start there.
Downstairs there's a bar, some tables, little outdoor patio, and a pool table. Seems like a quaint little way of doing things, and totally chill to be there. Around the corner from that, there's a little seating area with mild privacy, so also a solid choice. The real fun comes in heading up to the rooftop, where there's a bar, several tables and outdoor booths set up, along with a projector. That last bit would be considerably more awesome if the blazing afternoon sun didn't wash out the picture, but not a show stopper.
What we learned is that the downstairs and upstairs bar don't communicate their POS, which is pretty normal, so I'd advise you pick which bar you'll want to hang at and open your tab there. Yeah, you'll want a tab, because their beers are pretty good. We had the Gambino and. Peninsula. It looked like there were many IPAs on tap, some of which were of the hazy variety. It's such a cool spot and so close that we'll definitely come back to try more. What we did sample we found to be well-balanced and flavorful for their types. The Gambino had a smooth, sweet profile that opened up quite lovely once it gained a couple degrees of warmth from the tap. The Peninsula was an easy-drinking amber that had good notes of hops and grain.
Definitely a spot to go try out if you're in/around East Village.