Molly T.
Yelp
If you find yourself in the Flatiron District, 26th street is a must-visit. I've found yet another solid bar option here in Grey Bar.
A friend and I planned to go to Flatiron Room on Saturday night, but I, as always, was painfully punctual. She, on the other hand, was running late--which I knew, but I foolishly arrived earlier anyway. I had begrudgingly decided to forgo watching the rest of the Rangers game in favor of leaving for my night out. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that Flatiron Room's neighbor, Grey Bar, was screening the game on an impressive number of TVs, some of them massive. It was a beautiful night on Saturday, so Grey Bar had (I assume) removed any sort of storefront window apparatus they may have had, so the front was exposed to the street. After being an outsider (both literally and figuratively) for quite some time, I figured I'd stop awkwardly jumping around outside in my heels...by myself....and venture inside.
As far as sports bars go, this one is quite upscale. I'd say it's along the same lines as Smithfield (which is actually not far from here). If you're looking for a more divey joint where pitchers upon pitchers of cheap beer are the only refreshments in sight, this isn't the place for you. But this is a damn comfortable spot to watch a game. Despite it being a Saturday night (during the playoffs, no less), I found a seat at the bar easily, directly across from a glorious flatscreen. There were a bunch of people crowded around the bar, but everyone was quite polite--more merry as opposed to rowdy. Just an overall pleasant scene.
Seating options are abundant here, too. I don't know what it's like here during happy hour, but I had my choice of bar seating, a long communal table and a number of smaller, more intimate tables. It's kind of a choose your own experience here, which I like. My friend ended up meeting me here before we ventured next door, and the patrons near us graciously shifted their spots so we could comfortably sit next to each other at the bar. Maybe I'm just a jaded New Yorker at this point, but I'm not used to this kind of etiquette at a sports bar. Cheers!