Great drinks and thoughtful bites! Fun vibes and great ingredients abound. Highlights were the r&d cocktail, the crumpet, and the steak tartare. But honestly, everything was excellent. Really high quality bites with lots of layers and exceptional drinks. Booked through the capital one portal and felt super welcomed.
Such a nice spot to stop by after a meal in LES if you’re in the mood for dessert and drinks. I feel like you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. the candarin orange was perfectly balanced. The potato ice cream sounded intimidating but was surprisingly good, just a bit too jammy for us to finish. Love the aesthetics!
Probably one of my favorite bars I've been to. Its a bit unassuming from the front and the minimalist designed menu, but the techniques used are very intricate and require much more expertise than it looks. Once you understand what goes behind these drinks, they stand out even more. For cocktails, there's a little theatricality with using liquid nitrogen to chill glassware. They also have their own rig for carbonation, so everything is done fresh and you can taste the bubbles on their carbonated drinks. Tried their frozen chartreuse drink and the balance was great, most frozens tend to be overly sweet to freeze well. The frozen stayed pretty frozen and didn't turn to liquid immediately while keeping its flavor. The bar contra bar ice cream was also delicious, a must try if you like desserts. It's like a frozen Snickers bar but better. Service was awesome too, it was a half full restaurant but for only two-ish bartenders, it ran super smooth. Really awesome staff too, friendly and willing to talk when they had time. Come here with an open mind and a willingness to learn, and you'll have a great experience!
Chill bar good for conversation. Our service was great. Just the right amount of checking in. The drinks are interesting and the menu varied enough that there is something for everyone. There is no over the top presentation or funky glassware or craft ice here. While that sort of thing can be fun, the point of this drinks menu is the drinks. The short food menu is worth ordering from and far better than it deserved to be coming out of a bar’s kitchen. The comte truffle tart and stuffed chicken wings were standouts for us, although everything we ate was good.
Atmosphere: 7/10 Located in the East Village, Bar Contra hides behind an unmarked façade—no signage, no hint of what’s inside. The space opens into two areas: a bar counter and a darker sitting room tucked in the back. Music volume was just right for conversation. Backbar wasn’t particularly deep, but the vibe itself was relaxed and low-key. Drinks: 6/10 Recommendation: – Menu has a very simple design—just plain paper and minimalist styling. The cocktails felt flat—flavors not well balanced, no garnish, no presentation flair. Glassware was standard, no coasters. A small touch of tech with nitrogen glass chilling, but otherwise nothing stood out. Service: 6/10 Water was served on arrival. Service wasn’t rude, but it lacked attentiveness. Prices are average for Manhattan.