Fellow Matchbook League lady GR and myself decided to check out The Happiest Hour and Bar Sardine for our latest Matchbook League Dinner. These two places are very close to each other, and pretty close to work. They are both on West 10th Street, and this is becoming one of my favorite areas.
There was a work happy hour at The Happiest Hour a few months back, and neither of us was able to go. We saw that they had matchbooks, and decided to check it out, then grab dinner after.
The Happiest Hour is definitely a tiki-inspired bar, but less Polynesian (such as Mother of Pearl) and more Beverly Hills Hotel-inspired, with the palm tree wallpaper. I have been to a bunch of tiki bars, and have never walked away feeling like I spent my money on a really good cocktail. That is not the case here. Thought we just got one cocktail each, it was enough to make me change my mind. I ordered the Loose Lemon - lemon syrup, soda and lemon zest + your choice of gin, rum or pisco, and I chose pisco! I LOVE brandy in drinks. It was delicious, fresh and sweet.
The bar definitely had an interesting crowd. Despite it being only 5:20 when we arrived, it was full of suit guys. I assumed that that the shackles don't come off until 6:30 or 7, but I was wrong! There was also a baby crawling around on the floor, and seeing a baby at a bar was very out of context for me.
We vowed to come back soon, and made our way to Bar Sardine for dinner.
Matchbook verdict: perfection all around. It looks a lot better in person than it does in this photo taken with my iPhone. I love the matte dark green paper used, and the gold stamped font. I absolutely adore the address on the back. Anytime I see an address written out like that, with No for number with a small o, I immediately think about all of the beautiful Instagrams I see with people taking photos of quaint West Village doors. Finally, the boy and girl flamingo drinking from a straws out of a glass that's in the shape of an hour glass. How fitting to the name of the bar!
-GK
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