03/23/09

horrible owner

by algernonnewman

I tried to meet my husband at another restaurant owned by the same person, Ravi DeRossi, but the owner blocked the door and wouldn't let me inside until he finished a cell phone call, then screamed "You're a b-tch!" when I told him we were leaving because he had been rude. With so many great NY wine bars, why go to one owned by someone who acts like a thuggish bouncer and verbally abuses women? I prefer places that treat customers like human beings.

12/05/08

Nothing Compares...

by aboone18

Hands down the best bar I've ever been to. The beer selection is unlike any other you'll find in NYC, the bartenders are very knowledgeable and friendly and they play amazing music all the time. You'd never know it's there unless you know it's there which keeps it filled but never packed which is nice. The atmosphere is very relaxing great place to go with friends and talk. If you enjoy good beer it's a must.

• Pros: Beer Selection, Music, Atmosphere

07/10/08

An Oasis on MacDougal

by Terraplane

Great beer, great music, great ambiance, and, surprisingly, great bar food. As you enter the Rabbit, through the anonymous black steel door at the bottom of a flight of stairs, you realize you are in an oasis amidst the cultural desert the is MacDougal Street. One minute your fending off offers of cheap Italian food and free comedy under MacDougal's garish light, the next minute you're in the dark confines of the fashionably dim and richly appointed Rabbit Club, listening to Motorhead and reviewing the voluminous menu of specialty beers. Don't like Motorhead? Don't worry, the ecclectic mix will play something you like. Last time I was there I heard everything from Motorhead and Slayer to R-Kelly and Public Enemy. Amazing.

The space is not big but never feels really cramped. There are a few tables in the front and a more secluded booth in the back.

The beer selection is amazing. To help you navigate the long and suspiciously foreign beer menu are the bar tenders who act more like sommeliers. They know their beer, and they are very good at matching beer to your taste. Have fun at this place, and bring cash.

• Pros: Music, atmosphere, beer selection and quality!
• Cons: MacDougal Street can be a little hard to take.

04/29/08

Best Bar in long time

by drewbushong

'Best beers' bar in the world...? "Best beer Bar"? either way we had a frging awesome time. The music's awesome (played new stuff 'long blondes' and 'MGMT' with some classic 'danzig' and even a biggie smalls freestyle thrown in. amazing!!? ). The bartender knows his beer and the beer is good. They carry a huge amount of European craft beers, some crazy beers (oerbier) and some amazing (hoppy Otterhead) all of which were recomended and really good. They also have some funny flavored potato chips (ketchup, buffalo wing). We had plenty of room at the bar but they have a pretty cool booth in the back thats pretty dark and shady. VIP style. The peeing belgian boy shrine in the bathroom is a little crazy but beautifully done.

it feels like a real NY bar..rare these days. Really appreciate this place.

• Pros: NY Beauty. Cool Music. Rare and Tasty Beers. Hidden.
• Cons: The horrible street its on.

04/03/08

For beer connoisseurs and fans of the 1920s

by dispoto2

The beer list is awesome, and the owner/bartender knows his product. The decor has a very cool, 1920s speakeasy vibe. You even have to ring the buzzer to enter. It is reeeally super dark inside, and the music playing is mostly post-punk type stuff. If you stick around at prime party hour (Fri & Sat nights), the place fills up with 20-something, wannabe hipsters who yell and say "like" every other word. And call ahead if you are counting on a pretzel bread sandwich, because some days the bread guy doesn't deliver and there is no food--and the owner refuses to buy any other bread than the German pretzel bread which is imported from Germany. Go early if you want to have a seat and a conversation. Highly recommend the chocolate stout and the banana bread beer! The sour red beer pairs beautifully with the pretzel bread sandwiches.

• Pros: Amazing beer list and sandwiches; throwback, speakeasy vibe
• Cons: Expensive, inconsistent service and crowds

Rarefied European beer in a brew-and-wine speakeasy inside a West Village cellar.

by Joshua M Bernstein

In Short
Don't be fooled by the Ethiopian restaurant, which also sports a 124 MacDougal Street address; search for an unmarked black door, slink downstairs and ring the buzzer to enter this shadowy, Euro-beer speakeasy. Barely larger than a subway car, the space--with its tin ceilings, rough brick walls and votives encased in broken bottles--creates a scene that's one part sultry, one part "Hostel" (the movie). But the mood is lightened by the shrine surrounding Brussels' famous peeing-boy statue, which adorns the bar's bathroom.

Hits: You'll finally be able to enjoy stupendous suds in a setting that's not overrun with meatheads singing along to ear-splitting Bon Jovi songs--even in the middle of NYU territory.

Misses: Without a single offering on tap and most bottles flirting with a $10 minimum price tag, you might wonder if Rabbit's just a well-executed gambit to drain your wallet.

(Photo by Randy Reddig, ydnar.com)