Michael M.
Yelp
Disappointing second visit here last night, to the point that I wont return.
After dinner at Fraunces Tavern my group of 5 decided to finish the night at The Bedford since I had previously been there a week prior (and spent $200 on drinks with a couple of friends). We all work in the area and were hoping this could become the new after work spot.
My friends ordered four cocktails and I ordered a glass of wine (cabernet franc). When my glass arrived it was noticeably a small pour. I politely asked the bartender "is this a full pour," to which they replied "looks like it." It wasn't. Instead of just adding a bit more he went over to someone else, said something and came back with measuring tools. He poured some water at 5oz into another wine glass using the measuring tools and then compared it side by side with my glass. As I had suspected, it was short. It was around 3 1/2 oz (which is just over a taste) instead of the industry standard and expectation of 5oz. If you're a bartender and can't tell the difference between those two pours then you may want to recalibrate your career, and putting on this spectacle to make a point (which flopped) was just embarrassing for the entire establishment.
"I'll top it off," he said. What? Top it off? You mean finish the pour? No apology or anything. Instead, it was some big show with measuring cups and side by side comparisons. As if that wasn't enough, after he "topped it off" he went over to other bar staff and began talking about it. People would look over and quickly go back to talking to him and others would join in. Each person that would come to the bar he'd mention the 'incident' to. It was very off putting and went on for the entire duration we were there.
My friends and I had hoped to stay until close (we arrived at 9:30) but decided at this point that this was a lack of professionalism and that we would take ourselves somewhere else (we went to the Dead Rabbit and spent $400 there between food and snacks).
As someone who plans 20-30 happy hours a year for the Wall Street tech hub I was hoping that this would become a new favorite go-to for my employees. And since I've followed Charlie on social media for quite some time now I was hoping he may perform there and I could take the office for crooners and cocktails.
I had planned to bring some folks in for drinks this Friday after an office holiday party but we'll go somewhere else now.
Good luck.