Itty bitty bar

03Oct07

On an off street in Tribeca, I’ve been gravitating towards a signless bar named Smith and Mills. The identifying feature – a red light peeking the number 71 above the hearty wooden doors. What’s magical about this place is that I always manage to get a seat, and this is saying a lot for a space that can’t be more than 400 sq feet AND continually receives press as one heck of a cool spot.

 

Last time I was there (my third visit) I sat with a view of Harvey Keitel and his entourage of attractive women and older men. I drank a St. Germain Spritz which includes Elderflower water (the mixer of late). My companions drank martinis (served in normal, non-obnoxiously spillable glasses) and manhattans. We tasted corn risotto and mussel soup – they serve food too. All this is packaged in an amazingly decorated space that is half ship captain’s musty quarters and half French pharmacist’s neglected boudoir. The best is the bathroom, which you access by pulling aside a large grate – think antique elevator. The sink doesn’t drain but instead tips back so the water is captured in tarnished brass piping tucked behind.

 

The staff is too cool for school, but forgettable enough once you’ve ogled their outfits. I probably wouldn’t make it my neighborhood bar of choice (loyalties to Brooklyn Social), but it’s a nice outing.

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