Maybe it’s not the most popular joint. Maybe it’s not the hippest joint. Maybe its name inspires more yawns than anything else, but this pub is a surprising respite from the trendy, and sometimes tiresome, scene that is the East Village. Don’t get us wrong, we love a lot of bars in the area, but a lot of them are just too cool for their own good. This place doesn’t try to be anything but a laid-back, local pub. You’d think the place would be stuffed with annoying kids, and tourists out for the “East Village” experience. Thanks to its somewhat dowdy theme (after all, who wants to hang out and drink beers with some egghead?) the kiddies keep on moving to some place with shiny tables and a one-word name. What we found inside was a decent mixture of late-20’s/early-30’s guys and gals hangin’ at the all wood bar, chatting and drinking lots of pints of Guinness. The one thing we appreciate here is the volume of the music. The older we get (and we are getting up there), we start to have less and less patience for blaring music. It’s nice to be able to actually talk to the friends sitting three feet away from you. So, we’re not saying this is the place you’re going to have the absolute best time in the world, but it is a pleasant pub to park yourself for a few drinks before or after a nice dinner. [MF]
155 2nd Ave.
212/777-6514
thethirstyscholarnyc.com