Came here in the middle of a bar hop and genuinely liked the change of pace. Dark, quiet, calm, intimate, the kind of spot where you can actually hear the person across from you. Sat in the corner with a group of friends and had a real, decent conversation, which isn't always a given on a night like that. Wasn't my round that night, so I can't speak much to pricing, but the atmosphere alone earns this one high marks. Lots of candles, low light, easy energy. Would be a great pick for a date or a small group looking to slow down for a bit rather than shout over a crowd. A genuine breather in the middle of the chaos. read more

wait staff was so friendly and always made sure my water was refilled. I sat outside and the weather was perfect - it's near the street but not bad at all! I got the garlic edamame, taro brûlée, and spicy tuna crispy rice - I'll definitely be coming when I'm back on the UES! read more

Dipped into here for St Patrick's Day pre festivities. Everything was PERFECT. From the fast and friendly service to the impeccable level of the music. The Gruyère grilled cheese was mouth wateringly masterful. And the two craft cocktails were perfectly balanced. I highly recommend the FIG'ET ABOUT IT (HH) and LOVE FOR SALE (HH). Cannot wait to go back for cheese curds! read more

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Come for the ambiance: great people watching, dim lighting, exposed brick, wooden table, bathroom (one of the more unique doors I've seen, don't get stuck inside). Great cocktails and bar food selection. Burgers, tacos, fries, pretty much anything you want fried. Except fried pickles- they just dropped the ENTIRE pickle and fried the outside.. I'm still unsure if this is their normal way they do fried pickles or if the line cook was having a bad day. Come for a drink with a group of friends or a first date you want a quick exit strategy for. read more

First things first, if you're a college student or a young adult between the ages of 20-25, then you might like this spot. If not, I don't recommend it. I'll explain... We were exploring the East Village in the evening and decided to try Bua, a local bar. A bouncer asked for IDs and we walked into a tight, dark space. There's bar seating and a few bigger tables to the left, but it's very small. You're constantly bumping into people. Not exactly dance friendly. Luckily we were able to snag some seats at the bar. I had to use my iPhone's flashlight to see the menu because that's how dark it is. In addition to drinks, they also have a not-so-impressive food menu. The food choices reminded me of high school cafeteria food (burgers, chicken strips, fries, nachos). The drinks were disappointing, to put it mildly. We ordered: *Tito's Sparkling Lemonade ($14) - Did I just drink water?... LOL. There was no alcohol, no lemonade, nothing sparkling about this. *Friend of a Friend cocktail ($14) - Yuck... it tasted like a cherry cough drop or Nyquil. The description said it contains dark rum, fernet branca, housemade blueberry syrup, lemon, and peychaud bitters. There was nothing good about it. I don't drink beer but my +1 ordered a few and said they were good. The crowd consisted mainly of college kids. I wasn't too big on most of the music choices, especially for a bar atmosphere. I understand that everyone has different music tastes, but ehhh. Big turn off for me. Music plays a big role in setting the mood and atmosphere. Honestly, I only enjoyed this spot because of the person I was with haha. We made the most of the tiny space we had and still danced. Objectively, it's just a small bar with very mediocre drinks. read more

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Should have checked on my own review and not ordering the Fried Pickle again, it was thick batter, under-fried, and untasty. Great neighborhood wine bar with great pricing, cozy semi outdoor place. Fries was really good! read more

Bua - Fried things - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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3.5 Cool bar. Kinda crowded/tight seating. Good for big groups. Food, just ok. Fries-delish. Creative and tasty cocktails. Servers were attentive. read more

Bua - Drinks - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

If I could give it zero stars I would. I'm not one to write reviews but this was actually the worst experience I've ever had at a bar maybe in my life. Tried to get a drink at the bar and the bartender told me to stop trying to flag him or he wouldn't serve me, I was maybe standing at the bar for one minute before being told off. I've never experienced worse customer service. read more

Great spot for cocktails and a good burger! Try the pickle martini. Low lighting with candles and brick walls create a cozy, romantic but casual environment. Great service too! read more

Bua - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Bryan was amazing behind the bar! He served great tasting drinks and pointed us in the right direction for places to go as first time visitors of New York. Thank you Bryan, we really appreciated your hospitality!! read more

Drinks are very good. Table service stopped around 12 and that was disappointing. Fried pickles were good! read more

Bua - Drinks - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Food - is so good, it's definetly a staple in my neighborhood. Come to this place if your around the 70s / UES! read more

We came here for happy hour on a Thursday. We came in at around 530 and it was hardly close to full at the bar. The happy hour drinks are a good price for how nice they taste. I got the 98th and Rockaway and the agave Fresca. The 98th and rockaway stole the show in my opinion. Perfectly refreshing without being too sweet. Overall $20 for 2 great cocktails is a steal! read more

Bua - Menu - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Had my first date with my girlfriend here. Great spot for good bar food and drinks. Staff was very friendly. Great music.

A girl I know was being harassed by another bar guest. She told the bartender and he did nothing. When she stood up for herself she was thrown out of the bar. She was trying to have a nice night and enjoy herself; she shouldn't have to endure harassment to do so. This business needs to do better and support the LGBTQIA+ community. read more

Good drinks and solid food. The chicken tenders were definitely better than the taco, but either way you're coming here for the drinks and vibe. Good spot! read more

Bua - Fish taco - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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A solid spot with a kitchen open late and pretty good prices. The seating area is a bit disorganized, with parties having to pounce on the first open table they see, watching hawk-eyed for any hint of another table prepping to leave. We finally grabbed a table and ordered a sour beer, a chicken sandwich, and the pickle cocktail. The sour beer was pretty flat and tasted like a sour juice. Not bad but pretty sugary. I love trying new beers and sours but this wasn't one I'd get again. The chicken sandwich was delicious but had almost zero actual chicken in it. Looking at other photos of the chicken sandwich, it seems like it has the proper ratio (so maybe we went on an off day) but we had one super thin fried chicken in the whole sandwich. (If you look at the photo, it's all Cole slaw and then a tiny sliver of chicken underneath). The slaw is super tasty though! And the bread is legit perfectly buttered and toasted. The pickle cocktail was good! A nice pickle flavor with a kick. We ordered the one with vodka (you can choose between vodka and gin-- Vodka is what the bartender recommended) and it went great with the sandwich. Would return! I'd be interested in seeing if the chicken sandwich is more chicken-y on another day read more

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Service from the girl bartender was terrible , wouldn't give me and my buddies the time of day even after we had tried to flag her down with us and 2 others sitting at the bar . Upon leaving we had talked to the bouncer Peter . That man was the Goat . He had completely changed made up the experience we had and would go back again just to talk to him . Nice bar , iffy service depending on the day you go . read more

Vibes here were great! Crowded and took us a minute to snag a table but our waitress was super attentive and on it. The yummmiest espresso martini: mocha joe!.My boyfriend had the spicy chicken sandwich and I had a gruyère grilled cheese! We only stayed for a bit but it was 10/10 read more

Bua - Gruyere grilled cheese with side of pickles and some kind of mustard - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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This place is super cool. The staff is very kind and accommodating. The drinks are very refreshing and cold (which they should be). This place is 5 stars for sure. read more

This is a quant bar in St. Marks with a pickle martini that rivals that's if the Penrose. Price is high for the size of the drink but I guess is comparable to others in the location. read more

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The bouncer, "Mr. Peters", physically harassed me at the entrance by clotheslining me against my chest because I was distracted and forgot to take out my ID. As a 5'4" woman, I did not expect a man to put his hands on me before even asking for my ID. He said no words to me to ask for the ID and physically harassed me while I was distracted in mid conversation with a friend. I will never return. The manager here and bar owner of the Spaniard, Michael Mcferran, has yet to respond to my 2 email inquiries and 1 phone call since the night of the incident on June 11th, at 10:30pm. According to these reviews and the reviews at "The Spaniard" this has become a pattern of denial to all allegations against the bouncer and false reviews to make the place look better. Do not go here. They do not respect their partisans and will never get back to you if you raise concerns. All they will say is to contact their email address but will never respond to you. So, don't waste your time or money. Update: Management responded 2 days later. They were not helpful on my end and could not provide me with any information. They did not apologize for said harassment either. read more

Came here on a whim with a group of friends. The drinks were strong! I had Mocha Joe, the one that resembled an espresso martini, and enjoyed it. The fried cheese curds and grill cheese sandwich really hit the spot. Overall, it's a lively place to hang out with a midsized group; The place was popping on a Thursday night. Wouldn't recommend as a date spot as the noise level is high. read more

I went on a first date here, back in 2019 when I had just come out. She was my first hinge date ever, first ever date with a girl. We sat at a table near the back - it was private (or maybe I was just lost in my own little world with her), and we talked for hours, until she leaned over the table to kiss me (first kiss with a girl!). I went home that night and told my roommates I thought I had met the love of my life. It's been 6 years and kissing her feels just as special as it did that day. Thanks Bua, for giving me my girl (and also my cat, by the transitive property). So, yeah, basically just a great place for a first date if you ask me. read more

Very good place. It's right by my apartment and I recently tried it for the first time and wasn't disappointed. Pad Thai was a little dry, but otherwise everything else was amazing! The lobster bun was exquisite read more

Bua - Lobster bun - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Had a fun time at Bua during a weekday Happy Hour. Five of us shared chicken tenders, French fries, cauliflower dip, and chicken nachos. The cauliflower dip was a particular favorite, mixed with generous portions of cheddar and served with toasted sourdough bread. I had the Pirates' Highball, which was made with rum, grapefruit, lime, and yuzu soda. The cocktail was enjoyable and not too strong. Our waitress was very nice, and she was readily available whenever we wanted to refill our drinks. read more

Bua - Chipotle Cauliflower Quesadilla, Chicken Nachos, Chicken Strips, Hand Cut French Fries - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Bua has delicious, juicy burgers with their own special sauce. The burger does not come with fries, but I recommend ordering them because they were great as well. They have nice happy hour deals on drinks with a selection of exciting cocktails. read more

Bua - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Super chill place to grab a drink. We came on a Saturday afternoon and were able to grab a seat at the bar. Drinks were fairly priced and bartender was quick to make the drinks. I ordered the chicken tenders to munch on and they were ok. Decent flavor but too much breading. Once the evening approached, it definitely got packed and very loud. So better for a younger crowd for sure. read more

Came here on a Thursday night during COVID with a group of 6 total. I made a reservation in advance but honestly don't think it was needed around 6:30pm. They had plenty of indoor and outdoor seating separated by plexiglass. They even required one person fill out a card with information for contact tracing. Unfortunately they're not doing happy hour right now but their cocktails were around $13-15 and bottles of wine around $40. We ordered some beers, cocktails, and bottles of wine and had a great time! The fried chicken sandwich is a must. 4 people in our group ordered it and were all in agreement that it was amazing. The bread was buttery and soft and perfectly complemented the spicy mayo coleslaw and fried chicken. read more

Bua - Fried chicken sandwich - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Such a fun bar! My fave cocktails are the pear essentials and 'mai tai.' Also don't skip on the cheese curds, they're freaking delicious, and pair well with anything you might order. The fried pickles are also good too! I'd definitely make this a go to bar while checking out the rest of them in the East Village. read more

Very small tight space BUT the food was great! Staff was very attentive and kind. The drinks were good as well. I plan to return soon. Outdoor seating was limited at the time. Hoping to sit outside when I go back. Had the nachos and they were delicious. Everyone else in our group was happy with their food but the tacos were a bit small so better as an appetizer. read more

Pretty mid imo, not much special about this place. It's American btw not Thai, some other reviewers got confused and put some pictures on this page from the other bua read more

I really liked this place. The ambiance is very nice - dim lighting with lots of candles. The cocktails are delicious and the chicken sandwich I tried was good too. A great place for a variety of occasions - date, friends, or solo. read more

This is actually one of the more "tame" spots in the East Village that isn't heavily filled with a college kid crowd. And I like that. It's dimly lit, cozy, and has comfortable seating. The tables are roomy and the cocktail menu is certainly interesting. I went with the Agua Fresca - tequila, mezcal (let me clarify, HEAVY on the mezcal), watermelon, lime, and jalapeno. In retrospect, this wasn't the best drink choice for someone who isn't crazy about mezcal, but it was definitely unique so I'm happy I gave it a try. I think next time I'd opt for the Berry White cocktail instead, or maybe just one of their beers. The best part about sitting here on a late night? Being able to people watch from a comfortable seat with a cold drink, away from the crowds. read more

Decent village bar with solid food that catered to my childhood palet. The grilled cheese was amazing (both American and Gruyère were sampled), the fries came with Irish curry sauce (if you know you know), and they sold $18 carafes of very decent tasting wine. I'll be back! read more

Had a drink here and it was decent. Bartender was a strange. Would go back but wouldn't recommend to others. Didn't try the food.

What item has greater potential to be the perfect, most versatile bar snack than a hot serving of salty, crispy french fries? A lesser venue might leave you longing for surprise with a meager offering of bar nuts, pretzels or goldfish. Bua's menu has 'bigs,' dominated by sandwiches, burgers and one taco offering, sharing space with 'snacks and shares,' delighting with buffalo sprouts, beer buttered fried pickles and onion dip. Even amongst these tempting options, the fries easily stood out as the crowd pleasing favorite that accommodated all dietary restrictions in our party. The prospect of a serving of fries to be shared with your friends during after work drinks is hard to resist. It promises everything you'd desire for both your taste buds and your social gathering. It's carb rich, it promises to be crispy, it promises steaming heat exhaling from every bite, it promises a comforting and familiar sting of the salt that ushers you home to your very reason for visiting at happy hour - your cold beer. A serving of bar fries doesn't need to aspire to much to be satisfyingly adequate. All they really need to be, is easily ignorable. To provide social and conversational lubricant between sips of beer and gaps in conversation. Perhaps they might steal attention away from your friends for just a moment, because they're just so good. At their most exceptional, you even might all be too busy wolfing them down to ever stop to comment on them. The silence testament to your companys shared mind and presence together. These fries distracted and diverted our conversation for all the wrong reasons. At a time of catching up and celebration, these hijacked our attention from one another and stole us away from ourselves. They were much too salty. (Try the luscious grilled cheese instead, I recommend the gruyere with tomato and onion.) read more

Bua - Hand cut fries with side of ketchup - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Great staff and the food is excellent. The fried chicken sandwich is one of the best. Perfectly fried with amazing flavor.

Great Service! This is my second time and I am just as happy with my second dining experience. Very friendly and I will be back! read more

We initially came here to kill time before getting in to PDT (across the street)...so glad we picked it because it is a really cool spot! at first there was no place to pull up to the bar and no tables...so we found a corner to post up and went to the bar to order drinks. Service was friendly..prices were better than most of the nearby bars...nothing too exceptional here...the food menu looked yummy but i was holding out for Crif dogs. we eventually snagged a table (yay) very casual...was super crowded on a thursday night in the dead of winter (wow in SD people don't leave the house if it drops below 70 degrees and it was like 20 degrees outside tonight!) great place to kill some time before heading to your next spot! read more

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