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1st Ave-14th St (L)
Astor Place (6)
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What a perfect bar to wind down my time in NYC.
Bua channels a little San Francisco with such a cool casual vibe. The interior is almost like a cave with those dim lights and candles in the walls. Oh, and you have to check out the bathrooms. Someone told me they were converted from old meat cellars.
Anyway, great spot for a low-key group; grab your drinks from the bar, then chat it up at one of those back tables.
Next time my friends and I are wandering around the East Village at 2am, we know where to go.
Bua is a cozy and affordable little bar, which is next to one of my favorite Italian restaurants (Paprika). I usually only stop in here when I'm waiting to eat, but I've passed by on weekend nights when it's packed and not nearly as nice. I usually get the Sangria - which, come to think of it, is not that great. It just tastes a little watered down and I rarely/never actually get a buzz going from it. The bartenders, however, are very good at what they do, so stick with beer or other mixed drinks.
Definitely take a small group (6 max) on a weekday night or as a first stop on the weekend.
Tip: try to go for happy hour or early weekday evenings. It's a great place to meet up with a small group of friends.
This is my go-to spot for small groups of people.
Kick back on a bench (preferably outside), drink some moderately priced drinks, stay away from the bar food that'd make you think you were in Scotland, and just chill. Good beer selection. Rustic digs. Nice staff. Mellow pubbers.
Waaaaay too crowded and over-hyped on weekends.
After living in the EV for 4 years and seeing this place packed every weekend, I finally decided to find out what the draw was. Turns out - really nothing. This is a pretty standard, dimly lit EV hipster bar.
If you get a table, the waitress is pretty great and has some serious skills at cutting through the densely packed crowds. However, getting to the bathroom is a major test of patience as it's on the far side of the bar and people are packed wall-to-wall.
Net Net: I'd like to come on a weeknight to check it out again, but I'll never ever be back here on a weekend.
one of my favorite bars in all of NYC. great music, chill-ass staff, dope outside, dope inside, grilled cheese, and the way to a woman's heart. date spot fellas, dont question it.
I'd like to try Bua again on a non-Friday/Saturday, so I can experience it when the scene is more relaxed. We came on a Friday night, and it was already packed to the seams. Luckily, we managed seats at a table in the side room.
I really like the decor. Rustic wood. Drinks were good, prices were fair for NYC. Great location Friendly waitress who didn't lose her cool or her smile no matter how big the crowd grew.
Bathrooms right next to the bar, made it hard to tell where the line ended and the crowd began.
Really good mix of music playing.
Three stars for now. But again, it was hard to get a read on the vibe with the place so packed. The patrons I spoke to were pretty cool. Service was good. I'd go back.
Great place, hilarious patrons and AWESOME service.
When I was in NYC we checked this place out and it was really a great bar. Chill atomosphere and they even stayed open a bit late for us.
Great location and just an all around cool place, check it out when you're in the area. If you live in NYC you will become a regular.
Why do I like Bua? Good crowd, nice bartenders + doorman, and perfectly laid back atmosphere. There is nothing "alternative" about this place, but at the same time, it is not pretentious (I find most places to be one or the other in E. Village). The music is chill and not too loud and the decor is almost non-existent (I think there is a mirror in the larger room!). Add this to the fact that they serve up great drinks and don't hassle you at the door, and you got yourself a great bar.
On the weekends Bua gets pretty packed with a mix of locals/regulars, and PDT rejects who see the spot is conveniently across the street. All this will mean a longer wait for drinks and reduced personal space, and I would recommend coming either really early or late.
This is supposed to be an Irish style pub, but save for the standard Irish Whiskey selection and a couple of hints on the walls, you would never guess it. I didn't even know until I saw a sign on the wall.
Liquor is liquor, and you can't go wrong when you have Powers in stock. Prices are relatively cheap, the bartenders are nice enough and if you can get over the weird brick interior, I'm sure you'll find a niche where you'll be ok. Not exactly what I was looking for, but I wouldn't say no if someone wanted to go.
3 words...Dirty Pickle Martini.
YUM!
Chill vibe, nice bartenders, reasonably priced drinks.
I used to come here more often last year when I first moved to NYC, but I recently discovered it again this past weekend. I came here with my roommate to enjoy a few beers and chill. If it's a nice night sit outside (that's if you can get a seat). It does get crowded so you can sit at the tables inside or at the bar. That's not too bad though, because you can mingle with other people or the bartenders if you're sitting at the bar.
The times I come mixed drinks are a toss-up, I say that because sometimes they're weak and sometimes they're strong. I've learned just to order a beer - $6. Eh. I think they have =) hour - beers for half that price. But I haven't been to one yet.
Anyway, cool place to chill and have a drink with your friends.
This bar was way too crowded to enjoy with such loud music I could barely think. They layout is also in a zig-zag-like shape, which makes maneuvering through the crowd quite difficult. I was disappointed because I had heard such great things, but I will definitely not come here again unless it's an off-night.
Another one of those spots that I come to every few months and wonder why I don't come more often. The waitresses and bartenders are suspiciously cheery and friendly.
Great beer selection, happy hour, & outdoor seating.
Last night had my first stab at the menu, opting for the corned beef with gruyere cheese. It hit the spot but could have had a tad more meat (or chips, or a pickle, or...?) for the $10 price tag.
I've been here on both busy nights and quieter ones and the atmosphere is always pleasant. I love the brick walls and the candles stuck into little nooks - very cute. They make great cocktails and have a decent number of beers on tap. It's a little pricey for my student budget, but I like it anyway. It's also in my hood so it's convenient as well.
If there's a cocktail on the menu with jalapenos, or an equally spicy pepper, I'm guaranteed to order it, especially when it's paired with tequila. I was sold as soon as I saw the Habanero Tequila drink at Bua, and at $5 during happy hour (until 8!) it was a steal!
I wanted to have another, but we were on our way to the elite event at Drom, and it didn't make sense to pay for alcohol when I knew there would be free stuff...too bad I didn't know the only offerings would be ginger liqueur.
listen...it IS on St. Mark's. but at least it's not on the Disney-fied block between 3rd and 2nd. really the best reason to come here is the semi-outdoor seating that sits right above the sidewalk. perfect for day drinking. good beers on tap and great people watching.
very important: when i was there they played everything from CSNY to Fleet Foxes. that gives it the 5th star
I really had a great time here. A couple friends and I came here for happy hour during the week. They had $4 beers on tap, which included Brooklyn Lager, which made me a very happy person. The atmosphere was cozy, the music was at a good level (and not blasting dave or radio rap), and the crowd was good. We were able to hold a conversation without yelling to each other. Also, the bartender as well as the waitress were both really friendly and served up drinks really quickly. Definitely coming back here.
This is really the bar that you dream of when you elicit ideas of your prototypical Manhattan bar. The eccentric mix of down to earth yuppies and genuine creatives makes this bar a strong balance between the wealth and human character of NYC. Everything is understated but still packs a punch.
I've lived in this neighborhood many years, and have gone to the Holy Land market nextdoor and I've never noticed Bua....so when my friend said she was having her birthday here, I had no idea what the place was. And what a great find!! The outside seating is key. The open windows that allow you to people watch inside and outside are my favorite part. I heard they have decent food, although I didn't eat. The best part was the music. Such a great mix, sounded like someones fantastic ipod shuffle but we got some TV on the Radio and Paul Simon and I just didn't want to leave because I was so happy singing along.
I went to Bua for a hot second this past weekend during the friggin' heatwave (HOLY SMOKES! 45 DEGREES HALLELUJAHHHH!). It was my first time.
I can't tell you anything about the ambiance at Bua because I couldn't see it - the back room was dark and it was packed, exposed brick wall to exposed brick wall. It was unfortunate. It looks like a great little place (the food options looked good), but way too crowded.
Not to mention, someone farted close by, and it was just like... I am at a loss for words. I write really long reviews if you haven't noticed, and I. am. speechless?
If you were at Bua on Saturday night (2/7/2009) and farted, pat yourself on the back! Sent us scurrying for gas masks.
The bartenders were good and got us our drinks quick (and they were fairly priced too). My friends and I downed our beers as quick as humanly possible and bounced.
I'll be back to Bua at a hopefully off-peak time (if there is such a thing) to enjoy. I think that besides the Great Stink of 2009, the place is pretty sweet. 3.5 with 4 to 5 star potential.
Great big open window and outdoor seating was nice - except for the fact that it was all taken, so we sat inside - it's okay, the breeze still reached us. Super casual place.
Their swine sliders- omg, I meant Pork Sliders! were pretty good. The menu's limited, though (like three items?). Sangria wasn't very fruity, but it was fine. I don't think i have anything FANTASTIC to say about it. It was nice.
solid happy hour. I too enjoy the loungy vibe, and the outdoor seating is great for people watching. On a side note, I find that I can pronounce Bua's name incredibly well after a few drinks. The proper pronunciations of some places seem to evade me by the end of the night. BBUUUAAAA isnt one of them.
Caiprinhas and outdoor seating...those two go well together! Add that to the cuteness factor of the bartender...@_@.
I can count on this place all the time to wrap up a decent night... The tables were a cozy place to unwind on but it can get pretty busy during peak hours of operation..so you may have to resort in standing around the bar... It's ok though....make friends with your neighbors ^_^
This is the best bar in the east village. The bartenders are fantastic and the crowd is always fun. New York City is a very diverse place and it is hard to find a single location where the diversity of NYC can come together and feel at home. Every big holiday like New Years, St. Patrick's Day, or celebrating some of the regulars' birthday, BUA is treated to a song and dance by, Maria, the resident personality.
By far the best times I've had in NYC over the past year have started or ended at BUA. It doesn't get any better than this.
No Doubt!
Is it fair to blame a bar for its crowd?
A flock of self-conscious 23 year olds migrated East on this Friday night and perched inside Bua. They displayed the typical behavior for their species: loud, stupid jokes followed by explosions of self-conscious laughter and hair fiddling.
It was a shame because these pests distracted from the otherwise charming environment. Warm lights licked the red brick of the cozy space and the friendly bartender served a good selection of reasonably priced ($5.50) beers.
I'll try Bua again on a weekday. Hopefully the flock will be locked up in cages in their parents' houses.
one of my 3 favorite bars to go to in Manhattan - mainly because the music is AWESOME. I haven't extensively sampled the drink menu here (I just stick to the beers selection which is sufficient).
The ambience + decor - laid back, candlelit cave-slash-treehouse. not stuffy but definitely not dive-y. unpretentious yet clever.
Music: You'll hear unplayed favorites from The Cure and The Knife, to that Red Hot Chili Pepper's song that you don't know the name of.
The scene: tons of suave pretty boys in suits. it must be the implicit dress code. keep em coming.
The only thing they're missing is a dj who can remix old David Bowie masterpieces. Let me know if there's a lounge out there that does and I can go die there (out of happiness instead of misery).
why not have a menu consisting exclusively of grilled cheese? great call, Bua. yummy sandys and good drinks. i liked the inside/outside feel. fun place.
This was a pretty good spot, but man, was it crowded! I guess that attests to the bar's popularity.
I liked the decor (exposed brick, dark wood, stone) mostly because it makes me think of bars in Barcelona.
Very good selection of beers on tap. This is actually a wine bar, so I expect they'd have a vast wine collection, too. Interesting drinks, including the red lemonade, which my friend loved. A little pricey, but hey, it's NY.
I don't know if I'd make a conscious effort to come back here, but maybe.
When the day comes and I leave NYC, I can say that Bua will be one of the places I most fondly remember. I never thought I would be a "regular" at any bar, but the ambiance, the drinks, the friendly atmosphere, and most of all the bartenders and waitstaff make this the best bar in NYC and beg for return visits, in which I can say in the last year I have made more than I can count.
Never has a place less judged a person when ordering their 4th Jagerbomb of the night. than Bua.
Who doesn't like Bua! It feels like a cave, has some funky wallpaper and bricks, plays good music and serves up affordable, good beer.
My one gripe is the crowd. Call me old-fashioned - I like a bar where I can relax after a long day and have a conversation. The group at 10pm on a Friday was brimming with 22-year-old neuroses. After work on a Tuesday and I'm in.
What a fab happy hour. The cocktails were worth way more than $5. I loved my gin mule and caipirinha prepared by the friendly bartender. He was also amicable to editing the grapefruit out of a spicy margarita drink. Outdoor seating and gender neutral decor only added to the positives. I could imagine it being less awesome when crowded or at non-happy hour prices, but for an early after work happy hour drink- "as good as it gets"
Great Happy Hour! Enough said.
Bua is a solid, low-key pub option in a neighborhood brimming with places to go. The interior is suitably dimly lit and the exposed brick walls, with nooks created for candles, gives the place a good feel. The bartenders are friendly and the owner, in particular, is a cool guy to talk to.
Bua really is a bar and not so much of a restaurant. That said, they do have some food options available that make for good light dinner fare or a late snack. The pulled pork sliders are surprisingly good. Three small buns stuffed with tender, nicely seasoned pork.
An interesting side note on the food, which I think is worth highlighting, is the pickle that comes with. The guys at Bua have made nice with a local pickling operation based out of Brooklyn. According to the owner at Bua, the Brooklyn based pickle operation uses a recipe from the founder's grandfather. They vary things up from time to time, so it's not always exactly the same pickle. Returning to the pickle itself though, it's perfectly crispy and excellently seasoned with dill and other spices. Really, if you like dill pickles, this needs to be tried. The pickles they have right now also have some habenero peppers in the mix, which gives them just a touch of spiciness and a zesty aftertaste.
That's a lot of space to devote to pickles in a review of a bar, so perhaps I should turn to the drinks. Bua has a full bar and a fair beer selection. There's nothing to the beer selection that really makes it stand out, but it's certainly not deficient, which is key. They're good with the mixed drinks as well and the bartenders are willing to make suggestions, try interesting things, and get your libations to you promptly.
The venue and the people at a bar are as important as anything else. Bua has a good ambience, fairly good seating arrangement, and a nice layout to accommodate traffic flow in a place that isn't huge, but can certainly fit a decent crowd. The clientele is eclectic, but generally pretty cool and pretty low key. It tilts a bit toward the 20-something working crowd, but there's a decent mix of students and foreign visitors as well.
Oh yeah, I think I forgot a book that I was reading there. Hopefully the bartenders picked it up and hung onto it for me. I better give them a call. Bonus points for Bua if they still have my book.
I went here last saturday night with some friends. This place is a keeper! Exposed bricks, small outdoor area & very dim tables make this a cool hangout. However, it is really small & can get packed. Def a good spot to grab a beer with some hipsters
Bua was a stop on a Farewell Bar Crawl I was recently on, and I was pleasantly surprised.
This bar is the ideal after-work joint. It's small, but doesn't seem to get too crowded. If you're at the bar or sitting at one of the tables outside the bar area, you'll find it cozy and, despite the wooden furniture, the atmosphere is ideal for unwinding.
The beer selection is pretty good. They have all of your typical New York staples . . especially Brooklyn Lager which, let's face it, is truly the nectar of the Gods.
Good atmosphere, good locale, good beer - highly recommended.
I'm torn.
There were definitely some major pros and some major cons of this place.
I love the interior of Bua with the exposed brick and the cool sliding corridor doors for the bathrooms.
Plus the grilled cheese and the spicy pickles were AMAZING.
Plus the Pimm's cup is FANTASTIC too- like a mix between a mojito and a long island iced tea with some cucumbers in it. It's like a tasty libation and a healthy snack all in one little package.
Plus the bartender, Mark, is really cute...
But it's too bad his service wasn't the best.
And it's too bad that it's not ACed(especially on a sticky day like today)
And it's too bad that the mirrors are so effing high in one of the bathrooms (I am 5 feet tall)- do NYC bars discriminate against short people??!?
If you do come, definitely get the Pimm's Cup and the grilled cheese, but try to avoid it on yucky humid days.
Bua is one of my favorite places in the city. It's brick walls with candles in the nooks create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. In the winter, when it feels toasty and intimate, in the summer when the windows are open and it's breezy, Bua is a great spot anytime of the year.
The bartenders, Rauri, Simon, and Brendan are sure to make you feel at home and whip up a delicious concoction for you. Stay away from the sangria though, those Irish Gents fare better with the real cocktails.
Oh and I should mention, they do have some food. Mostly of the grilled cheese variety. Always a tasty late-night option when you're looking to soak up some of those aforementioned cocktails.
Great east village bar, with lots of exposed brick, and a cool, young and eclectic crowd.
Didn't try the pulled pork sliders, but they appeared to be popular.
The sangria is quite good, and there are communal tables in the back room that is quite the scene.
Outdoor seating, St. Marks, and a great crowd make Bua one of my favorite neighborhood bars. While it tends to get overly crowded on the weekends, (and weeknights) this place is a staple in the E. Village scene. Music here ranges from The Spoons to the Human League which is a great plus, and there's ample room for mingling inside. My only complaint is that there is a lack of seating and some really peculiar bathroom doors (sliding? really?) but, all in all I love this place.
I heard about Bua soon after it opened about five years ago and i've been going here ever since. i can probably say that it's my favorite bar in the village. great bartenders, great drinks, great music, and a great setting make the place perfect for any occasion. they recently introduced some bar snacks which are awesome. i recommend the grilled cheese.. perfect bar food if hunger bites.
friendly bartenders will chat to you at the bar when it is not too busy, and while it is good anytime to drop in for a beer, i recommend it mid week when its not too packed. they have a great drinks list too if you prefer cocktails over beers - try the pink lemonade.. its a favorite of mine!
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