Jimmy's 43
Categories: Bars, Restaurants, Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village43 E 7th Street
(between 2nd Ave & Taras Shevchenko Pl)
New York, NY 10003 (212) 982-3006
- Nearest Transit:
Astor Place (6)
8th St-Broadway (R, W)
2nd Ave-Houston St (F, V)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 3:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat 3:00 p.m.-4:00 a.m.
Sun 3:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Best Nights: Tue, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
45 Reviews for Jimmy's 43
One of Jimmy's 43's Favorite Reviews
Really like this place. Atmosphere is fantastic. Small, good lighting, good beer, smells like bacon. I usually just drink beer but the bacon smell fromt he kitchen is awesome. There are some bars like d.b.a. and Gingerman with more selection, but you can't beat the atmosphere here and good location as well...dollar pizza on St. Marks isn't too far away.
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I should've done this sooner but I forgot. Whoops.
So Jimmy totally made up for being closed...apologized and brought us in for a meal. I still don't know why the building department had it in for the place, but I'm glad the issue was resolved because the food was delicious.
You could taste how fresh all the ingredients were and the waitress even commented that we should get what we want now because the next time we come in the menu would be different.
The only reason Jimmy's doesn't get 5 stars on this update is because the dessert I really wanted (nutella and ricotta "grilled" cheese) was gone. Though that is another clue that it's all fresh there.
Highly recommended and not just for the beer.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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05/18/2008
I really wanted to say I had a great time at Jimmy's 43. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to go… Read more »
I went here with some co-workers the day it reopened last week. I loved it! It looks like a bar you would find in Prague before Prague went and got over touristy. (ie, old narrow archways, dark yet not depressing interior, nice wood furniture).
The beer and food were really good. I had the beer sausage, probably the best sausage I've had in NYC.
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Wonderful little underground pub.
The atmosphere is great, no pretensions or attitude of music loud enough that you can't hear yourself think.
The beer menu is changing all the time, though there are some staples, and the brews are GOOD.
I stumbled in on a lark about a month and a half ago, and have gone back repeatedly. Never a disappointing experience be it in terms of drink, service, atmosphere or food.
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pretty bright for a basement. Gotta be able to read the menu here. imports and rare beers including one that is only available at Jimmy's. Impressive. Even if you're rare beer is sometimes not the tastiest, it's fun to try them. I don't even normally enjoy beer and I enjoyed Jimmy's.
my friends say they take out of towners here as one of their go-to cool places. I'll keep it in mind for beer people.
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The bartender described it perfectly, "high standards without being pretentious". It's a quiet little place hidden below and to the right of Burp Castle. They have a great beer selection (lots of Belgians), though very expensive and good food to munch on while you drink. We got olives, cheddar and apples, and ceviche. They even have a ricotta/nutella grilled cheese which I'll have to get next time. The staff was very friendly and attentive. I'll be back for sure. It might be one of my new favorite bars.
I am a disgrace to the beersnob uniform.
I've been to Burp Castle and Standings, which are upstairs from Jimmy's, about 500 times. I always wondered what the deal was with this place, but never bothered to check it out.
Holy crap.
Great beer list, great atmosphere, great staff. Food menu looked pretty awesome but we were completely stuffed. Next time.
The amount of good beer available within a few feet of here is astounding.
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If you love beer, you must try Jimmy's 43.
This subterranean restaurant/bar has an amazingly diverse beer selection. Hitachino white ale, ON TAP! Oh happy day. Duval, Chimay, Chocolate Stout, Six Point IPA! On and on and on.
As for the food, the fact that they support the slow food movement w/o being ridiculously expensive = bonus! We only had a couple small plates (the cheese plate was phenomenal & the walnuts with fennel pollen and honey were worthy of licking the plate!), but everything on the menu sounded amazing.
The service was friendly and the space is really cozy. For some reason I can't shake the imagine of running into this place to hide from a storm and then staying all afternoon with friends, while making a bunch of new ones. This may be my new go to spot!
Update: July 21, 2008
I've been here about 3 times since this review and have had a lot, a lot, of beer! Even closed up the place with 2 out of town guests on a Tuesday night a few weeks back. Love the staff, love the beer, love the ambiance...
The new executive chef started July 7 and I coincidently met him as he was drinking with buddies July 5. He's a really awesome guy and I look forward to supporting this establishment!!
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So they do all the stuff I love. They shop locally, they want nearby farmers and the highest quality organic offerings, they help bring the farm back to NYC... but they also do it all perfectly back in the kitchen. When you get your food it has that *made by someone who cares* feel.
Also, I love a place that caters to the beer girl in me. Such good beers and choices, knowledgeable staff when it comes to decisions.
Jimmy and his employees are a dream come true, service not normally achieved in NYC.
Oh- I almost forgot to tell you how cozy it is. Love. Down deep love for Jimmy's!
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Second favorite of the pubs. I would have taken down a star for the awkward space near the bar, but they host the NYC DAT beer, cheese, and chocolate (or bacon) tastings! So they got it back. If it weren't for Jimmy's, I wouldn't have heard of the other bars. Plus they had Young's Double Chocolate Stout on draft, which is worth four stars alone. The bartender was also incredibly friendly.
Picture this: a wine bar, but instead of wine, it is just BEER!! Well, they have wine too, but this is a beer snobs home away from home. Came in here late one night with a buddy and stayed well past the 4am closing time, shared a cab back to BK with someone I just met there, and was chatting it up all night with the friendly bartender and regulars.
Nothing pretentious here. Excellent beer MENU. (They even have a $30 glass of beer). Good times indeed.
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Maybe I went on an off night? Which sucks, because I've gone on so many "on" nights there.
Have had many amazing meals here...from the shishito peppers (love, and no longer on the menu...really?!?!) to the bacon slab to many great pieces of fish, this had been my neighborhood go-to for months, until last week.
I was almost embarrassed for the chef. Everything I ate was bland and boring. Whereas every other time I've been here the menu seemed to be organized chaos, now it was just chaos. The charred piece of spanish mackerel would not be fit for my dog...and I don't even have a dog. Ordered a beet salad with fluke. Just roasted beets, over greens (which was fine) with torn up pieces of fluke sprinkled (apparently as a 4 year old would present) over the top. Boring, not tasty, disappointing.
The bacon was missing from the menu. The only major protein on the menu was bison, and I wasn't in a bison mood.
Beer and wine was still great, but the food left a lot to be desired.
I think the chef is new...which may explain a lot. I hope this place redeems itself.
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A great place to start off a night indulging in quality, expensive beer. On a Friday night, this place was full, yet not crazed like other establishments in the area. Music wasn't too loud, and the bartender was just nice enough. For our group of 3, it was just perfect.
Chimay on tap?? That's an automatic thumbs up! Heavy emphasis on Belgium brews, plus a loyal listing of brews from these two brothers *SB. Didn't try any of the SB beers, but I just didn't know them to owe any sort of courtesy to that label. Although the overall selection was impressive, this is NYC after all and you will find some of these brews at other places for a couple dollars less.
The Chimay was a clean pour, I also tried a Piraat which was excellent. Boy do I love my beer like my men! Strong with a little bit of meat. The food here looked delicious; when I return, I have the feeling a more well-rounded gastronomic experience may update this to a 5-star rating!
Not wheelchair accessible.
UPDATE: the food, although modest in portion size, was deeeeelicious. the shepherd's pie was hearty and saucy, a little salty. the pickled appetizer consisted of a variety of small vegetables, about 4 bites apiece. and....drumroll....the bacon!! almost a travesty to even call it bacon, as it came in actual hunks of goodness. the syrup coating was a nice sweet touch balancing the saltiness of the meat. did i mention there was also a dish of beer sausages fried in bacon fat?! excuse me as i die from a heart attack in this moment of bliss....
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A cozy place whose arched doorways and wooden decor calls to mind the Belgian monasteries which berthed the brewing traditions of many of the beers served here . The very vibe of this place inspired the kind of insipidly literary, yet somehow friendly, description I just wrote. And I like that kind of place.
I'd had about four cocktails and a few fistfulls of bud light before coming here, and as such, I could not tell you what beer I had, but I can tell you it was coppery, flavorful, and memorable in the visceral sense even if its literary nomenclature is gone like so many other thoughts.
I can tell you unequivocally and with fully present memory that they fry their beer sausages in bacon fat. And that their bacon with pomegranate syrup is one of a kind amongst that most glorious of pork products. They serve these little cubes of bacon - well actually they are not really that little at all. They are pleasantly plump and the sweetness of the pomegranate is kind of like that unexpectedly pleasant marriage of breakfast bacon and French toast syrup. It's probably pretty good for you too especially when paired with some bacon fat fried sausage and a couple few Belgian ales.
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I chose this bar as Friday night happy hour destination for a group of my friends, despite never having been here. When I arrived it became clear that my failure to reserve a table could be problematic. But the staff went out of their way to figure out seating for us and didn't get annoyed when we spilled into other areas. all the staff were very cool.
It would be impossible for me to not love Jimmy's 43 because I ate three or four different kinds of sausage there and my little tastebuds were just bursting with delightedness. I IMPLORE you to get the skillet-fried beer sausages.
This was the perfect place to hole up on a rainy evening with a group of friends. It's cozy and fun, they have a great selection of delicious beer, and did I mention the sausages??? But I would come back with a smaller group, because the only downside of Jimmy's 43 is that it's quite spendy and thus not a place for a group of drunkies to be ordering endless rounds of chimay and cassoulet.
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Such a cool place to visit.
Came here with some friends and enjoyed a few drinks.
Had some decent prices on beers and some were crazy (but hey if you are in the mood to splurge, go for it!)
Very chill, very relaxed.
I've been going here since this place opened, having been a fan of Jimmy's previous bar, Patio. (My jazz combo has played both places). I've held off on reviewing Jimmy's #43 because I wanted to really wrap my head around what the place has become since Chef Phillip took over the kitchen. What it's become is something amazing.
First off, it's a cozy basement place with arches between the rooms and examples of the taxidermist's art on the walls. The smell of bacon permeates the place, adding to the rustic vibe. The Belgian-heavy beer list is brilliantly chosen, but clearly aimed at someone who appreciates good beer - you can't order by default, as there's no Bud, no Heineken, no Stella. Come to Jimmy's for the good stuff. Quality rules over familiarity, and that ethos carries over to the menu as well.
The menu... My first impressions of Chef Phillip's work left me thinking, "This guy's got a set of brass balls!" I still think that, but the fact that he used to work at wd50 explains his adventurousness. Thankfully he's not adventurous for the sake of being so at Jimmy's. Top quality ingredients (favoring the local and organic) are shown off in interesting (and sometimes unexpected) ways - ways that usually end up pairing perfectly with the serious beers poured here. The wonderful food is your reward for being adventurous enough to order things like Guinea Hen livers, oxtails and cockles.
Standout dishes over a few recent visits included:
Roasted shishito peppers appetizer
Giant slab of high quality country bacon masquerading as an appetizer
Warm walnuts topped with honey, ground fennel seed and sea salt
Black barley risotto (!)
Cockles with garlic and lady apples
That's the tip of the iceberg. It's tempting to get hung up on the appetizers and just scarf a few while drinking beers, and I've had great nights here doing just that, but I feel like I'm missing out if I don't try one of Chef Phillip's mains. His use of boldly flavored top quality (and often unusual) ingredients coupled with his skill in putting a dish together results in very happy eating for the adventurous diner (who may have a beer or two already in him).
On top of this they have shows in their back room performance space and they host beer, cheese and bacon (!) tastings.
So I'm giving five stars to an upscale gastro-pup with a greenmarket obsessed chef in the kitchen. What's wrong with me? Isn't this is the kind of place I should be mercilessly making fun of? Yes. The word "gastro-pub" sends a shiver down my spine, and experience has taught me that an "adventurous chef" means overpriced food that's wildly uneven. But many rules have exceptions, and Jimmy's #43 is not only that exception, but truly exceptional!
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Awesome un pretentious place. Great atmosphere to boot.
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loved this place as soon as I walked in - it was a holiday Monday so maybe quieter than it is usually but that suited our Monday-really-feels-like-Sunday 3 day weekend mood. It reminded me of Freemans but nowhere near as hectic or overheated. Cosy, nice service, amazing cheese fondue (you canNOT have this too often if you want to live a heart attack free life, but soooooo good), and just a generally lovely feel to the place. Good beers too of course. New fave.
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Yelped this place while in town for one night and wanted to pick a random spot to test my public transportation prowess. Found it no problem (Kudos to me!)
Ok. For starters, I am from California. Where I come from, normal happy hours start between 4 and 6? So an average time to start drinking on any given work night is around 5. I showed up to Jimmy's at 5:30? They were barely officially open, and I as soon as I asked if they were (I was obviously the only person in the bar), the nice bartender had to hush one of the line cooks who made some snide remark towards my inquiry. Well F you dude. You are ugly anyway.
I sat at the bar, ordered a beer, and was the only patron in the place for a good half hour. Very unlike me, but I had come a long way to find the place and basically could have cared less. The bartender was very nice and made conversation with me. Jimmy also came out and educated me on the drinking habits of New Yorkers (very different than us west coasters. NY is home to millions of vampires) No wonder I was the only one in there! By the time I left around 6:30, there were still only a handful of patrons.
I had toasted walnuts with honey drizzled on them as an app. Yummy! Thanks to the very nice bartender (the pretty musician girl) and Jimmy for making me feel welcome.
Sincerely, the pilot chick.
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7th Street seems to be the place to go if you want some great beers--Burp Castle is nearby and Jimmy's is right down the block as well. Jimmy's is a great place to sample an interesting selection of Belgian-style beers and domestic microbrews on tap. I recently tried the Green Lightning (think that was the name). It is an insanely intense IPA with an almost noxious level of hops. But if you like hops and want to just blow your tastebuds with another level of hop intensity, try this.
I went on a Monday when they had comedy night hosted by a friend of mine. Great show, no cover. I can't complain about Jimmy's--it's a nice subterranean find.
NOTE: I don't drink. After years of realizing that I can't handle my liquor, somewhere around the age of 28 I said to myself, "Then just don't." And so I haven't.
So why was I at this bar? A friend's birthday celebration. And I had an awesome time.
There was a long wait for a table of 10 on a wednesday night, but the staff was really friendly and good at keeping us posted about how close we were to sitting -- even though it meant charging out the door and upstairs to let us know. When we sat, everyone was beyond friendly, our party drank freely partaking of a couple reds and several beers/ales, and our ordered plates of fondue and olives were eventually joined by free ones of cheese, pears, apples, and pickles.
Everyone was happy with their bevies, and I enjoyed the lively company and pub ambiance -- dimly lit with just enough noise to speak freely and not be heard by or intrude on others. My bf quaffed two glasses of St. Berbardus Ale (10% alcohol! Zoiks!), and this was after coming from another party where he'd already been drinking. He said it had a surprising sweetness that made it enjoyable to drink.
Maybe too enjoyable, as he got puke drunk for the first time in about 7-ish years. We got home and he hung out over the toilet hurling, while I exclaimed, "EWWWWWW!" from the bedroom each time. But the fun night out with friends left me in a great mood, so really my disgust was just to get him riled :-p
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Great European-esque atmosphere, delish beer, ridiculous risotto and really cool servers. And actually I saw one of the funniest nights of stand-up I've ever seen in that back room. All around a boss place!
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It's another cozy NYC if-you-blink-you-might-miss-it joints. I'd first heard about the place from a coworker. Some friends were visiting from out of town. We got bored walking around and wandered into here on a late Saturday evening. Sadly, the kitchen just closed. The food menu had looked really enticing. I had my first Hitachino pale ale. We loved the boisterous,dim atmosphere. Service was nice. I vowed to come back. For the food.
A few days passed and I saw a nice nymag writeup for Jimmy's food. I convinced a date to take me here for dinner and drinks. I had a toasted peanut butter sandwich and soup. Also shared berry crumble for dessert, which was ok. I need to revisit this place some time... slight warning, this place can get pricey.
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The best Jazz bar in the city. I've been coming to this place for years. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and the service is just great. I come to Jimmy's at least twice a month. It's a form of great stress relief. if you want to unwind after a rugged day and share a warm environment with great food, wonderful people and some dynamite music, you could do alot worse than Jimmy's.
Excellent beer pub, but it's more of a restaurant than a pub. They serve a more inspired menu than the typical burgers and wings place.
I love the decor of the place, which feels very authentic monastery.
I experimented and tried a dark belgian beer which my friend didn't love. The server was really accommodating and gave us tastes of another beer which she liked better and ordered instead. Their beer selection is terrific. We shared a cheese plate and I had one of the specials, a meat and potatoes dish, which went very well with the belgian brew.
A very friendly, cozy place to enjoy belgian beer and food.
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A cozy underground pub with a good beer selection in the East Village. Once down the narrow stairway you'll encounter a space that feels like old New York (whatever that is). They've got a couple cellar-like (but not too dark) rooms and a small, separate, live-performance space as well, but the place is primarily a bar.
The beer list changes (weekly? monthly?) and always has a nice mix of British, German and Belgian beers mixed in with some American craft brews. They are, however, a bit on the expensive side when compared to places like Peculier or DBA's that have the same beers.
They've got decent pub food, like shepherd's pie, but the main draws are really the space and the beer selection. Check it out if McSorley's, down the street, is too crowded (as it frequently is on weekends).
Jimmy's is a low key pub found in the East Village with your atypical selection of beers and wines. It's a nice spot to catch up with friends and chill out for a few hours, being that it's quiet and cozy.
However, the 3 stars represent the lack of friendly service received this past weekend when ordering our drinks. Fine, I'll admit it... I usually don't go to bars that don't have Stella, Heineken or Guiness on the menu. I'm not familiar with the brands of beers they stock here.... when a friend asked if they had Guiness (they answered no), then asked if they had Amstel (another no), the bartender promptly pulled out the drink menu and said "We only have these beers. You really NEED to read it."
Lady, I come to bar to relax with friends, not to get an attitude. Ya really NEED to chill out.
3 stars for bad service but a good environment.
I'm not too familiar with the area, so local friends pointed us to No. 43. I need to buy them a beer because it was a great place to get a few drinks. The staff and patrons were friendly, and the place had a neighborhood feel to it. I've heard the food is above average, especially for a small bar. We tried walking in for dinner at around 10pm on a Saturday and that wasn't a good idea. Next time I'll make reservations and give their food a go.
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this place is cool w/a worthwhile menu and v.good service. it's home of the ukelele fest (also fun) ... skip the show Adventures in Mating. It stinks on ice.
I was recently there for a beer, chocolate, and cheese pairing and whatever food or drink that I had consumed was brought in by the people who were running the event. I did have a look at their beer menu both tap and bottle and they have a very good selection of Belgian and German beer. The decor was very Tudor, beamed ceilings, archways, heavy dark furniture, dim lighting. I'll go back again at a later date and try one of their offerings on tap and maybe have a bite to eat, as well.
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Great little bar downstairs from Burp Castle on what should be known as "McSorley's block". They skew toward Belgian beers but I really enjoyed the IPAs (Six Points & Victory 'Hops Devil') and a chocolate stout.
Dimly lit. Simple furniture. Intimate w/o being romantic. Perfect for friends to enjoy good beer and have intelligent conversation (vs. yell at McSorley's or get shushed at Burp Castle).
The one page menu isn't your typical traditional American. More gastro-pub. Cheese plates, fondue, a shepherd's pie. Haven't tried the food but will next visit...
shawn and all the crew there is amazing.
the pear risotto was a TAD rich, but the great company and the awesome beers made up for it.
if you aren't lame...check this place out.
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Unique selection of beers on tap. A variety of the classics (stout, lager, pilsner) with different brands that I have never tried before. A low key crowd with a full service kitchen available.
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Solid laid back bar where you can almost always get a place to sit. Waitresses and the bartender are pretty nice, reasonable service. We were next door at Burp Castle which was full yet weirdly quiet the other night so we hit Jimmy's. They have a decent selection of interesting beers on tap, and some good pub grub. The mac and cheese smells divine, I almost jumped on the next table to steal theirs. They also have burgers and other stuff. Looks good and simple, and smells DAM good! Good decent unpretentious neighborhood joint.
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This quickly catapulted to a favorite upon my first visit this weekend. After another stellar night at Il Bagatto it was Bridget C's mission to have a "beer birthday" and we wanted to go to Burp Castle but it was unusually crowded and for some reason smelled like armpits. Anyhooo our friend Nate suggested Jimmy's. Upon entering this little gem of a pub you immediately feel transported....I'm thinkin' Czech Republic kind of vibe. The service was great, the beer was fantastic and they had a ukulele tournament in the next room...friggin adorable. I will most certainly be back to try the food and to while away another evening with my friends.
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I'm not a big beer person, but when I'm out with my beer drinking friends, this place hits the spot. It's definitely lowkey, with plenty of tables and seating. Another plus - the food is actually good!
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Jimmy's Rocks! Simple as that.
I've been there a couple of times for various events. First went there for a New Orleans benefit, where he served New Orleans' food and beer for a flat fee, which went to the relief fund.
It has a nice alpine rustic decor. The random beers he has are great. Definitely try the Turbo Dog or the Abita Amer. Fans of fruit beers try Lambic.
I had my B'Day party there in the back and the servers were great. Make sure to munch on the cheese platter the next time you go there.
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I dug the subterranean atmosphere...and the casual vibe...the beer selections were outstanding...the Six Points Devil Stout was great...and the wine selections had some pleasant gems (and value!)...the food was all very good...sausage snacks...interesting pickles...the menu is seasonal fresh and rewarding as it is interesting...I had a traditional hanger steak and my friend had the veal short ribs...though the menu is small we still were torn over the selections...could have been served warmer...and although the food was very good and somewhat ambitious...there was a strange dichotomy of what the place wanted to be...the service was a bit odd...if not quite ignorant of the menu and the wine...OK if it is a bar...not so good if it is a restaurant...or is it a "gatro-pub"??? again...is it a folksy bar or a dining experience???...for a $25 entre...you tell me...does that deserve flatware from the dollar store on 14th street...don't get me wrong I've shopped there, too...but it is too bad these little slights may detract from the efforts of the kitchen and the sourcing of the wine & beers...good job overall...I'll be back...but next time I'll sit at the bar and try the shepherd's pie...and a few more pints.
Low key is about the best way to describe this bar. But don't let that discourage you from visiting and trying one of the great beers they have on tap... the selection is always changing, but I've managed to find at least a few good beers on tap at all times...
I used to frequent the place because my buddies' theater company used the performance space... nothing like comedy and Delirium... I'd love to go back for some Jazz...
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