Phil G.
Yelp
What a nice place to gather for fine refreshments! The atmosphere and beverage quality are major attractions for me. I would note that the service is the weaker link and could see where one may drop a star.
Given the great location, I was immediately surprised by the amount of available space at tables. Not as in "void of crowd" but rather not the "shoulder to shoulder" action that is typical of good beverage service establishments in NYC.
Most impressive to me was the lack of attitude from the customers and the servers. Relaxed and open is the theme. The VIBE here at the The Tippler is excellent and lends itself to an ATMOSPHERE that is heavy on relaxation. Mind you, there are boisterous characters but it is "good fun" as opposed to "obnoxious".
Walking down the entry stairs to subterainean den, the walls and support columns are brink, the furniture is wooden, the carpets are nice (probably Asian although I'm a little fuzzy today). Tables surround the open floor and are spaced well enough for comfort unless the group is six or more. The lighting is overhead and dim hanging from dark metal fixtures (ummm, or so I recall).
This was a special event night and we consumed many BEVERAGES. Being excitable people on this topic, we tried several and they were all prepared well. Mrs G tried one of house concoctions whilst the rest of us tried a series of favorites (Sazerac, Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Vesper, Boulevardier). Yours truly tried the Double Chocolate Porter which was from an unknown (due to memory) brewery.
We stayed quite a while and tried some FOOD which was better than expected. The range of selections is not large. They keep it simple and higher quality. White Bean on toast and the pretzel were memorable. I don't normally go for pretzel but this one was excellent. Realize that this is a beverage establishment that serves food so, don't expect a phenomenal meal.
Lastly, the SERVICE was inconsistent. While one of my Yelp friends had a bad service experience due to behavior, in my case, it was perfectly friendly but there was not enough of it. The Tippler should put one (or even two) additional table server on the floor. The table adjoining our was going to the bartender rather than wait for the table service.
Lastly, (again lastly), whether it was our over-indulgence or their poor shift scheduling, we managed to sit through three rotations of servers. We closed the tab each time. That said, I really had a great time here and knowing the service tendency, I would have no problem looking past it.