Rock Steady
Details
218 Bowery,
212-334-0484
Related Content
More About
"It's up on Bowery and Rivington—the old Pioneer Bar," I instructed a friend on my cell, while looking curiously around the 3,000-square-foot space at 218 Bowery, which has recently been rechristened R Bar. The brand-new theme here is rock 'n' roll, or as the bar's preview website states, "Rock n Roll Reinvent Reborn Revolutionary Renaissance . . . Is Coming." What came is bordello-red walls, chandeliers, black padded walls, and stripper poles in the back, and a soundtrack curated by Billy Caldwell of Madchester's late great Hacienda. It is Caldwell's roster of unassailable tunes (Stones to Nirvana to Pixies) that's the real rock star of this joint, that and the accommodating bartenders without any all-hail-keeper-of-the-booze ego trip. "I can make you anything," our boy amiably announced, stirring up a solid Manhattan ($10) for me and not wincing when my lady friend asked for a lady drink, tequila with grapefruit ($8). Such kindly gestures almost make up for the schlocky black-and-white 3-D images of nekkid chicks straddling guitars behind the bar, or the high-school-level paintings of Debbie Harry, Iggy, and Mick. On that note, the owners needn't have tried so hard. First lesson in rock 'n' roll: The real thing sells itself.
Now Trending
-
Voice Places
Find everything you're looking for in your city
-
Happy Hour App
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
-
Daily Deals
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
-
Best Of...
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
- Profile
- Newsletters
- Mobile
- Logout
