I’ve walked by this place for years wondering what the hell went on inside. I worked down the street on Prince and Lafayette for a couple years in the mid-nineties and saw those Southwestern (or are they African) fossil things imprinted on the wall outside the bar in my dreams–most of which were, oddly enough, Indiana Jones based. So I’m not sure if it’s those animal bone things combined with the Temple (Bar) of Doom, but I’ve always associated the bar with archeology. Or like maybe a Masonic vibe? I didn’t know until I finally walked in there years later that it’s actually a pretty cool bar. Well, not cool in the traditional sense, but in like a cozy hideaway sense of the word. The space is minuscule when you first enter, and is decorated like some fancy nineteen-forties vanity mirror. The joint is shaped like a circular driveway, with one door in and one door out. It’s a little weird when you first enter, as it’s not like any kind of bar I’ve ever been in. But for that same reason, it’s a wonderful place to park at the end of the night with a nice buzz going. The bartender was super-friendly and kept us in popcorn and vodka. The mellow, jazz vibe could certainly be sleep-inducing if I weren’t so busy looking around and peeking around the bend of the bar to see what the hell was going on with the second ten feet of the bar. Kettle One somehow tastes better in a joint like this-kind of like Guinness in an Irish pub. I’m not sure what a “joint like this” really means other than this has to be a really good place to bring a date who is so on the verge of givin’ it up that any little bit of suave will tip her your way. Walk in and make it happen. [MF]
332 Lafayette St.
212/925-4242
