Angel's Share

03/27/08

Recent Review are Right - what happend to this iconic east village bar!?!?!?

by 73737373

This place used to be such a civilized place in midst of the craziness of the east village. now, it is just another bar - mobbed by the masses and has lost any sense of caring. There I was, with a date, ordered drinks, the bartenders were having a loud birthday party for our waiter (never this kind of staff partying before.) The birthday boy takes my check and decides i didn't tip enough (my bad, i did the math wrong, i always tip well) he explains things poorly, in the tone that bitter bartenders use in tourist places. Not cool. (i then made the correction) But, he then makes the point again to my date while i am in the restroom. Totally not right - and especially for a place that used be known for being discreet. I hate to say it, but another piece of the east village is gone forever.

03/22/08

Grabbed by the neck, thrown out and called a f*ggot

by GayGuy

My friend is a total flame. His feet never touch the ground. We went out for drinks. They said--we'll seat you at a 4-top. If another couple comes, you have to share. Not a problem. We sat side by side (see flame description). A foursome came, they told us we had to move. We said: our drinks just arrived, I'm eating my first chicken wing and we don't want to move. You said share, not total displacement.

5 minutes later: You have to move. Another foursome arrived. I said: cancel the order and send us the check. I returned the other appetizer, uneaten. I paid--debit card (foreshadowing). Confronted at the door with-- Why didn't you tip? I said--tipping is for good service, which is not what we got.

30 seconds: raging beefy bartender, glasses, anger from about ten years comes from nowhere, grabs me by the neck and throws me out. My friend comes flying after us. Bartender screams--f*ggot, f*ggot, 5 more times. My friend gives him the finger. I come out of shock, realize what just happened and lunged. My friend--a flamer with a lot of muscle--grabs me by the throat and hoists me out.

Here's the kicker: the next day, I see that my account has been debited $20 in addition to the tab.

E Village bar scene is thick and varied enough that you don't have to support these gangsters, if nothing else, out of solidarity. I'm sure the story is lopsided (they have their own crappy version) but violence is never a good thing--esp. to a customer! Hello!

• Pros: lighting
• Cons: womb of anger

12/24/07

What happened to this once great bar?

by hoyan

I walked in one night with a date after a few month hiatus. I noticed right away, things have changed, they had someone at the door taking names. They never had a host before, I know because I've been patronizing angel's share for over 8 years and I've come to know the staff quite well. Once I got seated, I looked for some familiar staff. Unfortunately, the staff are all new faces. They all look like they play in a japanese punk rock band because of their wild hair. The only reason I knew they were staff was because they were wearing the traditional Angel's share uniform. However, some of the staff had their ties loosened with a few shirt buttons left open,and their ties were not even straight. They looked very unprofessional. Since I was already here, might as well order a drink. This is where I noticed it was not the same. The servers and bartenders are slow, took almost 20 minutes for someone to take our order and then it took another 20 minutes or so to get our drinks. I was there for almost an hour before I got my first sip of alcohol... I know it was a busy night but it should not take this long. All this would be forgivable if the service was friendly. Well, that was not the case. No one ever came back to check on our table. The server never smiled and never even said a Thank You when he gave us the check. I had to explain to my date that this was not the same place that I used to adore. Is there anyone that can explain to me what happened to Angel's Share? What happened to the old staff? Is it under a new ownership that took over the business? Is it still even called Angel's Share because it definitely feels like a different bar?

• Pros: still romantic and great location, drinks are still good
• Cons: terrible new staff

10/12/07

Pretentious and Rude. Spend your beer money at Village Yokocho instead

by gogopogo

I've been here a total of 4 or 5 times but after the way my friends and I were turned away the last 2 times, I refuse to come back ever again. The place is a narrow and has very limited seating, so they impose 2 rules: all customers must be seated, and no groups larger than 4. If you are unaware of these rules, or have temporarily forgotten, the staff will let you know in no uncertain terms, in a rude and condescending manner. This is a stark difference from how Japanese staff treat people in Japan, where I lived for 3 years. This isn't posted on the entrance and the staff will make sure you feel like a total idiot if you don't know.

The appeal of this place is that it's Japanese. It's a Japanese western-style bar. Other than that, there's nothing particular interesting about this place other than the Japanese chic factor if that's what you're into.. and possibly the Michaelangelo-ish painting of two baby angels. For my $, I'll go someplace less uppity and pretentious, since there is little else of redeeming value.

You will have much better time at the izakaya/restaurant just outside, called Village Yokocho, which is decidedly down-to-earth and more blue-collar. You can laugh it up in a big group over beers and yakitori and not have to worry about looking "proper". Try the tako-wasabi if you dare. Quite tasty!

• Pros: dark and mysterious, wood interiors
• Cons: below average service, cold, surly staff, snobbish

10/11/07

Not what it used to be

by homina_ray

I just read a review and realized why Angels Share is so bad now. The management / Bartenders left. Was at Angels Share yesterday and the service was horrific. I mean, the bartenders were running around constantly shining things looking busy but not getting any drinks. It took 15 minutes to even get my order and they were clueless as to a simple order of Jameson on the rocks. First he couldn't understand so basically nodded his head but didn't pour anything. So I reminded him and he spent five minutes looking before realizing he didn't have any. Next drink was an even more painful wait despite the fact that it was not at all busy.

My friends have been hitting B flat like the reviewer mentions below and I guess that's where all the good service went. Angel's Share is a great location, but it's charm was the sophisticated service and environment. This place will unfortunately devolve into any old NYU bar. The new management and bartenders are clueless. I have no association with B Flat or know any of these people personally but I do feel like Angels Share is still trying to coast on the past management/ bartender's reputation.

Fair warning, it's not the same. You've been warned...

• Pros: Used to be good
• Cons: Horrific service

10/02/07

mature, classy; stands out in contrast from the hectic collegiate establishments nearby

by mackerelmorcilla

Whether you sit at the bar or get a more comfortable seat in the back, Angel's Share is a great place for intimate conversation - and just to talk. The cocktails are great!... try the shiso leaf cocktail. Only problem is that there's almost always a wait.

• Pros: romantic, good atmosphere
• Cons: tight if you sit at the bar

04/09/07

Angel's Share bartenders moving on

by sonyps

Hello everyone, I am a senior bartender at Angel's share and I would like to share some news with all of you. My manager at Angel's share is opening up a new bar in May 2007 called B-Flat located in Tribeca. The address is 277 Church street. All the bartenders that work in Angel's share including myself, will be leaving Angel's Share and will be joining him in this new venture. If you love angel's share, you will love this new bar. Please pay us a visit if you are in the neighborhood. On behalf of all the bartenders working in Angel's Share, it has been a great pleasure serving all of you. Thank you.

• Pros: Drinks
• Cons: none

03/08/07

Excellent service

by pluffstar

I went to Angel's Share with a couple of out of town friends last night after a play. I heard good things, but I never had been there before. I was a bit concerned that it may have been too hyped and I would disappoint my guests. Fortunately, that couldn't be further from the truth. The place was classy, the food and drinks were delicious, and the service was amazing! If you're looking for an intimate, comfortable lounge with class to spend quality conversation time, then this is place.

• Pros: Service, Ambience

02/03/07

Good date place

by johnnywaves

I've heard mixed thing about here, mostly great cocktails and rude service. Personally I found the cocktails to be great... as well as the service. The caiparinah was tasty even if the didn't have my favorite cachcha and the fried oysters were a good snack. The Oysters had full flavor, the potato salad served with it was nice, but oddly there was no potato flavor, but the seasoning and cucumbers in there made up for it.

it was busy but not to noisy to talk and there a nice view looking out over stuyvent.

01/13/07

Best bar!!!!

by chrisshea

Best place in the city to have a quiet drink! Me and my girlfriend went there this past friday after hopping around at loud and obnoxious clubs. It was nice and intimate and the drinks were made with care and the service was good even if they are a little on the stiff side. Take your date there, she will love it!!!!!!!