Little Branch - A nice place with a nice Manhattan

This weekend I stopped over Little Branch, a nice little Bar at 7 Ave S on West Village. If you plan to go there you must really be aware of two things:

Becareful to not miss the place

First, pay attention, since there is no sign on the wall. Little Branch is at the Corner of 7 Ave S and Leroy Street, and there is just a small sign on the door and a big line that starts after 9:30PM.

And the second, is to avoid the line, especially during the cold winter days. Since the bar is not so big, after a certain hour, they just let you in once somebody gets out (1 to 1 rule).

They are really into coktails. One option is the "bartender's choice".

The Bar is downstairs, in the basement. Once inside you will find a very nice place, specialized in cocktails, with a jazz/ Caribbean/ reggae sound, not so overcrowded, and with a mixture of New Yorkers and foreigners. For sure is a good place to go.

Since I was by myself, I just stayed at the bar and didn't order a table. At the bar, as usual, I ordered a Manhattan to Lucinda (the bartender).

The result was a really good Manhattan, very classic, and (perhaps because of the vermouth it was used) with a cinnamon and clove taste.. approaching more to sweet than to the dryness or bitter, still a good Manhattan.

The score: 9.  I didn't give a higher grade because could be a little less sweet and a little more dryer, but the spice taste of it (and still on its classical shape) worth every dollar spent on it. And the place was really the final touch.

Congrats Little Branch! And I sure recommend it!

Best Cocktail Bars in Manhattan

Following my search for the best Manhanttan, I started a search for the best cocktails bar of Manhattan.  The next step is to drink a Manhattan on each one of them, to have, then, my final veridict.

The list is below:

Name	Location
Babbo Restaurant	110 Waverly Place, New York
Tropica Restaurant	200 Park Avenue, New York
Flatiron Lounge	37 West 19th Street, New York
Temple Bar	332 Lafayette Street, New York
Milk & Honey	134 Eldridge Street, New York
Bemelmans Bar @ Carlyle Hotel	35 E 76th St, New York
Blue bar @ the Algonquin Hotel	59 West 44th Street, New York
King Cole Bar @ St. Regis Hotel	2 E. 55th Street, New York (Invented the Bloody Mary!)
Angel's Share @ Village Yokocho	8 Stuyvesant Street, New York
Little Branch	22 7th Ave S, New York
Employees Only	510 Hudson Street, New York
Old Homestead Steakhouse	56 9th Ave, New York
Brandy Library	25N Moore Street, New York
East Side Company Bar	49 Essex Street, New York
Pegu Club	77W Houston Street, New York

* M&H will be hard to go, entrance is by referral and appointment only, by paying an annual fee of approximately U$500. Perhaps one of this days I call London and convince Jacqueline to let me in (http://www.mlkhny.com/new-york.php).

Manhattan Challenge - Marseille

I went for a Brunch at the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, since I wasn't in the mood to go further to Meatpacking or Soho. I remembered a very nice place at the corner of 44th and 9th, a bistro type.

This region is really good for restaurants, nice and affordable.

The place is called Marseille. When I arrived the lady at the front told me they were already closed (they closed at 3pm and it was 3:15pm).

So I questioned her if the bar was open. It was a perfect occasion for a Manhattan. She told me yes, and there I went.

I order to Melissa a straight up Manhattan, as usual. She (like it happen at Piano Due) asked me what kind of whisky I would like. I ordered a Canadian (like Piano Duo). She made it with Royal Crown.

The Manhattan was really good, but not dry as I like it. The sweet taste got stronger from the middle to the end, but not even close of what I tasted at Piano Due. The drink was really enjoyable from the beginning to the end. The problem was she didn’t “chilled” the glass (for those who are not usual to it, before serving a cold drink, the bartender shall keep ice inside the glass, to chill it out).

End of history: no food, but a 8.5 Manhattan. Maybe next time I go just for the food.