1 star = "Eek! Methinks not." Bua is really: 0 stars = "Eek! I absolutely know not!" I met friends here around 10:30 on a Saturday. It took 45 minutes for our waitress to make an appearance. Then, after placing the order and waiting another 15 minutes, we gave up and left. After leaving, I spoke with some friends who stayed behind at Bua and found it was another 30 minutes before they received that round of drinks. That means it would have been an hour and a half after arriving before receiving ONE drink! Unbelievable. So much for being a business in a hospitality and service industry... Do yourself a favor and try one of the many other bars in the area. That was my first and my last visit to Bua. read more

Bua, pronounced either Boo-a or Boo-Yaa, is the bar Irish drunks dream of, and Simon and Mark have created a new home for East Village drunkards. Open early to late, it's a joyous place where the owners go shot for shot with you and throw down Irish Car Bombs every hour or so. When I stay in NYC, I sleep above Bua and start and end almost every night there. It's dangerous, but highly recommended. Simon will keep the place open until daybreak if you can keep up with him and stay on your feet. Ask for Simon's special drink, it's a whiskey and ginger conconction that will cure any cold. read more

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If there's a cocktail on the menu with jalapenos, or an equally spicy pepper, I'm guaranteed to order it, especially when it's paired with tequila. I was sold as soon as I saw the Habanero Tequila drink at Bua, and at $5 during happy hour (until 8!) it was a steal! I wanted to have another, but we were on our way to the elite event at Drom, and it didn't make sense to pay for alcohol when I knew there would be free stuff...too bad I didn't know the only offerings would be ginger liqueur. read more

Awesome Happy Hour till 8pm! $6 cocktails $4 drafts. Crowd: diverse but young crowd, ~20s Seating: Gets really hot inside, great outdoor benches if you can nab one you are solid. Cocktails are very tasty but small/filled with ice. Drafts is the solid bet. read more

Why do I like Bua? Good crowd, nice bartenders + doorman, and perfectly laid back atmosphere. There is nothing "alternative" about this place, but at the same time, it is not pretentious (I find most places to be one or the other in E. Village). The music is chill and not too loud and the decor is almost non-existent (I think there is a mirror in the larger room!). Add this to the fact that they serve up great drinks and don't hassle you at the door, and you got yourself a great bar. On the weekends Bua gets pretty packed with a mix of locals/regulars, and PDT rejects who see the spot is conveniently across the street. All this will mean a longer wait for drinks and reduced personal space, and I would recommend coming either really early or late. read more

What a perfect bar to wind down my time in NYC. Bua channels a little San Francisco with such a cool casual vibe. The interior is almost like a cave with those dim lights and candles in the walls. Oh, and you have to check out the bathrooms. Someone told me they were converted from old meat cellars. Anyway, great spot for a low-key group; grab your drinks from the bar, then chat it up at one of those back tables. Next time my friends and I are wandering around the East Village at 2am, we know where to go. read more

A real convo from last night: Me to Friend at terrible neighborhood nondescript bar: "We're not staying here." Friend: "Okay! Where to?" [pecks "bar, cute boys, East Village, food" into Yelp] Me: "Bua? It's at the top of the list. It's close. Eh." Friend: "Bua? Eh." Me: "Agree! But why??? Why is it an EH? It should not be! Everything should be great. Pretty candles, substantially better looking people than most of the other East Village spots. Kettle One martini thingies. And it's not a cheesy sleazy lounge or dive or sports bar or Irish Bar... it should not be an EH type of place!" Friend: "Eh." Me: "Yeah, how about we cab it to (bar that is not Bua)" In a word: Stale. And I can't tell you why- I have asked myself the same question for all of my East Village residing years as Bua has been a consistent choice for happy hour, day drinking, dates, birthdays, friends in town, etc. I was even at Bua on Xmas Eve. It's okay, I guess, but there are so many livelier alternatives. read more

I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Bua last night. For starters, the drinks were weak, overpriced and seriously nothing even remotely close to being special. However, this is not uncommon for a typical trashy St. Mark bar like Bua nor is this where the problem was. One of the other customers at the bar harassed my friend. Repeatedly waving at her and signaling her with weird gestures. He proceeds to approach out table and show us the creepiest disturbia-esque PICTURE THAT HE TOOK OF MY FRIEND. You cannot take a photo of someone without their consent. PERIOD. We kindly refused his advances and asked him to leave us alone. We informed our female server of his harassment and she apologized and told us that she would let manager know. This was followed up by the manager telling us "sorry, he's a regular and he's drunk. Don't worry he has a girlfriend." Ummm... excuse me?? Sorry I don't care if he is a regular or some gorilla of a woman is somehow dating this pig. This experience was extremely violating. This behavior should not be tolerated by the staff just because their alcoholic is a "loyal customer". Treat all of your customers with respect. Maybe offer to comp one or two of your overpriced drinks if your regular harasses them? Sad to see this still happening in 2021. Absolutely will never being going back to Bua. read more

Got scammed by the bartender. On Tuesday (July 24, 2018) night, I was on my way home from the gym and decided to stop by BUA for a drink. I got an IPA which cost $7, and handed the bartender a $20. The changes he gave me included a $10 bill that had a big corner missing. So I asked him for a different change. He insisted that the bill was usable. I was tired from my workout and didn't press him. Big mistake. Today I tried using this $10 bill at a grocery store. The cashier there told me that he couldn't take it because the serial number was chopped off. So when I finished my gym workout I stopped by BUA again to resolve this mess. The bartender on duty tonight (Wednesday) was a different person and (rightly) refused to change it for me. Now I have to come back again to speak with the original bartender who gave me this bad change or the management. This is super irresponsible on the part of the bartender who was working on Tuesday night. I'm really pissed off by the inconvenience caused by the irresponsible person. UPDATE: The management reached out to me shortly after my review was posted and asked me to stop by so that they could rectify the problem. I did stop by today. The bartender on duty (a different guy) immediately took care of the problem after I explained to him what happened. Kudos to them. Hence I upgraded my review to 4 stars since I used to frequent BUA and liked the bar. read more

Dear Bua, Thank you for having non-alcoholic beers in the basement. And thank you to my waitress for going down to the basement to get me one. Haha. Since I'm on a no-drinking kick right now, I love it when a place has non-alcoholic beers - i know it may sound lame, but it's actually fabulously cool to drink o'douls. I chug that shit. ha. Bua is great! I hate loud, crowded, annoying bars - and this is the opposite. Dark, candle-lit, brick walls, great seating, SWEET bathroom doors (heavy, thick, sliding metal doors)! What's not to like? I'll be back here for sure. read more

I really like Bua. The ambiance there is very romantic and intimate with the brick and the candles everywhere. The bartender is friendly and makes a good mojito. Also good happy hour specials. In the summer months, it's nice to sit outside and people watch. One day, I was here when the guy was lighting the candles (the gazillions of them that there are) and let's just say that I don't envy him. Appreciate your work though Mr. Candle Lighter! read more

Bua is one of my favorite places in the city. It's brick walls with candles in the nooks create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. In the winter, when it feels toasty and intimate, in the summer when the windows are open and it's breezy, Bua is a great spot anytime of the year. The bartenders, Rauri, Simon, and Brendan are sure to make you feel at home and whip up a delicious concoction for you. Stay away from the sangria though, those Irish Gents fare better with the real cocktails. Oh and I should mention, they do have some food. Mostly of the grilled cheese variety. Always a tasty late-night option when you're looking to soak up some of those aforementioned cocktails. read more

Yikes, I'm not picky about service but I just can't recommend Bua after going there last night. A friend and I went for happy hour and it was completely packed at about 7:15. We waited for a bit and managed to get two seats outside at a table with two others. This was awesome! The happy hour is a good deal and even though the cocktails aren't strong, they were pretty good. The cheese curds were the best I've had in the city! However, after maybe our second drink, this homeless man began to cause trouble on the sidewalk right in front of everyone sitting outside. He was brandishing bottles and yelling. We ignored him for the most part but this other table of dummies seemed to be encouraging him. Management didn't seem to really be paying attention. Finally, he throws a glass bottle onto the ground and it shatters, with pieces of glass getting in my hair and landing on our table. Nice. Management asks us to move inside, all the tables in my area do, the dummies do not. At this point i think the call the cops but don't tell us so we're all wondering if they have even done anything. They don't tell the busboy, who takes everyone's full drinks away, assuming that we all just left en masse I guess. The waitress also doesn't know what's going on and casually asks us if we want another round as we're standing awkwardly in the doorway later. We're never given the all clear but since the guy seems to have left and people are vying for our table, we go back out. The poor waitress is overwhelmed and it takes forever for us to order more food. Anyway, long story short, the guy throws another bottle from across the street, a bouncer finally goes to talk to him unsuccessfully, the policy never come even though lots of people are now calling 911 (not Bua's fault!) The main issue is that I was disappointed that I actually had to ask to have the two full drinks we had to reorder taken off of our bill. Management never came outside to ask if we were okay. The busboy took our drinks but the table was never wiped, even though it had glass on it! Frankly, for how scary and unpleasant that experience was, we should have gotten another free round or had part of our bill comped. Having two drinks we didn't get to drink taken off of our bill should have been the absolute minimum that was done. read more

Ginger Highball. I love you. At at only $5 during happy hour, I love five of you. Only qualm about this place is that it gets super crowded and the service is slow because its so busy. Aside from that, love it. Deliciously strong cocktails and a good beer menu. read more

Bua is gorgeous. We walked in early (at like 7ish) so it was basically empty, but it was fine we were just killing time before dinner. The brick walls and minimalist style of the place is so cool, its a huge downer when bars have great outdoor seating and cramped unattractive interiors--but this place was awesome, exposed brick walls, big tables for big groups, all lit by candles, no blaring tvs. I hope my friend gets a job here. I want to come back again and again! I hope his unnatural obsession with pumpkins isn't a problem. The diet coke is fabulous by the way. Perfect temperature and ice/soda ratio. read more

I lives upstairs from this place for a decade. First it was a creepy pet supply store, run by fat Israelis who hated animals. When they finally moved out there was a dog skeleton in the basement. Then it was "Noa", which was staffed exclusively by really beautiful girls who would deliver beers to our apartment and sometimes forget to go back to work. During this time things happened at and on that bar that you should consider before leaning on it. Now it is Bua, which is like a so-so bar. Hard to judge though I'm a fat middle aged married guy now. What would I know about what the kids want out of a bar? So try it. Nice bathrooms, I'll give it that. read more

I liked the exposed brick and candles placed in the nooks of the walls. I liked the amount of space it had, it wasn't too cramped even with many patrons. The one thing that didn't excite me was that it was way similar to the decor/vibe of The Room, The Other Room, Another Room. Everytime I blinked I swore I was in any one of these venues. I guess the lack of originality is the let-down. I'd hit again. Its a chill enough spot. read more

This is supposed to be an Irish style pub, but save for the standard Irish Whiskey selection and a couple of hints on the walls, you would never guess it. I didn't even know until I saw a sign on the wall. Liquor is liquor, and you can't go wrong when you have Powers in stock. Prices are relatively cheap, the bartenders are nice enough and if you can get over the weird brick interior, I'm sure you'll find a niche where you'll be ok. Not exactly what I was looking for, but I wouldn't say no if someone wanted to go. read more

Had two mules. Nice and strong. They don't come in the traditional copper mugs though. Also ordered the cheese curds here. As a Midwesterner from Wisconsin, I'd say Bua did an amazing job bringing the curds to the east coast. Definitely give it a try if you're a cheese enthusiast and don't know what cheese curds are! read more

Great atmosphere and food! Everyone in my party had a great experience.I enjoyed the curry and pad thai

When the day comes and I leave NYC, I can say that Bua will be one of the places I most fondly remember. I never thought I would be a "regular" at any bar, but the ambiance, the drinks, the friendly atmosphere, and most of all the bartenders and waitstaff make this the best bar in NYC and beg for return visits, in which I can say in the last year I have made more than I can count. Never has a place less judged a person when ordering their 4th Jagerbomb of the night. than Bua. read more

Great food and service! I got the pad thai and had an amazing lychee juice love it!!!

I used to come here more often last year when I first moved to NYC, but I recently discovered it again this past weekend. I came here with my roommate to enjoy a few beers and chill. If it's a nice night sit outside (that's if you can get a seat). It does get crowded so you can sit at the tables inside or at the bar. That's not too bad though, because you can mingle with other people or the bartenders if you're sitting at the bar. The times I come mixed drinks are a toss-up, I say that because sometimes they're weak and sometimes they're strong. I've learned just to order a beer - $6. Eh. I think they have =) hour - beers for half that price. But I haven't been to one yet. Anyway, cool place to chill and have a drink with your friends. read more

Came here for a birthday on Friday night. We were pleasantly surprised at how accomodating they were even though we were late for our reservation. Throughout the night, the waitresses and bartenders were all incredibly friendly and a pleasure to interact with. Beers are $6.50 - they have my faves guinness, ommegang light, and magnum's cider so I was happy. Cocktails are about $9-10 with an interesting Ginger cocktail and Strawberry one. Of course they have wine too. They also have decent food, which was perfect for people coming straight from a late shift. The music was decent, not top 40s but bob-your-head type house music. It wasn't too loud, but with a lot of people talking, it was inevitable to yell over the noise to be heard. It can get pretty crowded but if you can get a table, it's not too bad. The crowd was great, lots of 20 to 30 somethings, and many very nice looking. And unlike most bars, the bathroom wasn't gross; they were well-stocked in amenities and quite spacious. Cozy, brick decor, and decent drinks - a chill neighborhood find! read more

BUA plays the best music, cheap drinks, has the hottest crowds, and always fun times with everyone! I come here on a regular basis. Last time I was here, I brought my cousin and a group of her friends from out of town. Some people prefer to stand and some prefer to sit. They have nice long bench tables in the second room. If you can wait for a table, grab it! On a busy night you will find a cocktail waitress to tend to your table. Score! At the end of the night, dont forget to visit Tuck Shop across the street for a meat pie! Aussie love! read more

A bar, is a bar. This place is your standard bar. It has a nice feel, mostly a mid 20's, nice looking crowd and a cool vibe. I have come here as a happy hour after work spot, and a late night destination. If you get a big table, this is a great place for small groups. If you get a small table, this is a great date spot. This bar loves candles. There are candles on every table and pretty cool candle arrangements in strategically placed holes along the brick walls. Drinks are decently priced and the bartenders are fast and friendly. There is small outdoor patio, which is great if you get a seat. They have $5 well drinks, and beer for $4 as a happy hour incentive. read more

Bar is awesome: great drinks, great atmosphere, great music However, WEEKENDERS BEWARE Our friends were total suckers and fell for, apparently, a weekly scam that involves a young girl and her dog.... 6 of us, who I guess appear to be upstanding citizens, were sitting out on the benches in front of the bar drinking the BEST bloody mary I've ever had when we see this 17yr old (homeless?) girl dragging her poor dog down the street. The dog was looking feeble and sick with it's sad puppy dog eyes. Like any other NYer we turned our heads and ignored the situation. after 30 min of seeing this go down in front of us, we started feeling so sorry for the poor puppy that we told the girl to "go meet her friend" and come right back for the dog. Yes, I know we sound retarded but the whole bar was in on it too. Some poor guy ran around the street and bought a can of dog food, while others in Bua we bringing it glasses of water and food from their own trays. It was quite the scene.... So I go up to the bar to order more drinks when a very nice gentleman informs me that this girl pulls the same story every week and her dogs plays into the whole thing because she trained it. It knows exactly when to throw it's body down in front of the bar and just lay there. The girl uses this to coax people into giving her money or at least feed the dog. The guy lived across the street and said he sees it every weekend. At that point I'm LIVID and run outside to quickly tell my friends the news only to find that the dog is gone and, as expected, the girl had come back with this sob story begging for money. Other than the ridiculous scam that ensued, the bar is AWESOME and I plan on going back....for drinks AND to kick that girl's ass :) read more

Is it fair to blame a bar for its crowd? A flock of self-conscious 23 year olds migrated East on this Friday night and perched inside Bua. They displayed the typical behavior for their species: loud, stupid jokes followed by explosions of self-conscious laughter and hair fiddling. It was a shame because these pests distracted from the otherwise charming environment. Warm lights licked the red brick of the cozy space and the friendly bartender served a good selection of reasonably priced ($5.50) beers. I'll try Bua again on a weekday. Hopefully the flock will be locked up in cages in their parents' houses. read more

Delicious drinks and a great happy hour make this place a St Marks mainstay. Not only are the ingredients fresh, but the cocktails are inventive and never let you down. While the sangria was probably the only so-so cocktail I sampled (I am a die-hard sangria drinker), the bee's knees and the fiery margarita more than made up for it. The pimms cup with fresh cucs and strawberries will have me coming back soon to try in full force. The one down side is the limited seating-- once you've snagged a table, hold onto it for dear life. You'll come for the the relaxed vibe and unassuming atmosphere that add to the overall chill nature of the place, and you'll stay for the drinks and the good company i hope you've brought along. (No table service for drinks, must order at the bar--just a word to the wise) A big boo-ya for bua read more

Although I'm not a regular at this fine establishment, I would be if I lived in the neighborhood. I love this bar, the bartenders, the drinks, the clientele, the music, the drinks, and the bathrooms. I may be going a little overboard with the bathrooms, but honestly this is a GREAT New York bar. I particularly love Bua in the summer, but I take friends and out-of-towners here who are looking for a good pint, a fun vibe, and interesting strangers all year long! read more

Charming little bar with exposed brick walls. Perfectly situated across Cafe Mogador, my all time favorite restaurant in NYC (so far at least!). Thus why I usually hit this Bua before or after eating there. Happy hour is pretty decent. Selected drinks on offer til 8pm. It's most enjoyable during the warmer times when you can sit outside or by the huge open window. It's most enjoyable when its not packed. This being early on in the evening. I avoid this place if there's no seating, it's just not as pleasant. read more

listen...it IS on St. Mark's. but at least it's not on the Disney-fied block between 3rd and 2nd. really the best reason to come here is the semi-outdoor seating that sits right above the sidewalk. perfect for day drinking. good beers on tap and great people watching. very important: when i was there they played everything from CSNY to Fleet Foxes. that gives it the 5th star read more

Was a cozy, cute little bar that had a great patio for summer days. Very reminiscent of Extra Virgin on a summer day. Drinks were good and bartender was nice. Think the exterior might have been remodeled since some of the pictures have been posted. read more

one of my 3 favorite bars to go to in Manhattan - mainly because the music is AWESOME. I haven't extensively sampled the drink menu here (I just stick to the beers selection which is sufficient). The ambience + decor - laid back, candlelit cave-slash-treehouse. not stuffy but definitely not dive-y. unpretentious yet clever. Music: You'll hear unplayed favorites from The Cure and The Knife, to that Red Hot Chili Pepper's song that you don't know the name of. The scene: tons of suave pretty boys in suits. it must be the implicit dress code. keep em coming. The only thing they're missing is a dj who can remix old David Bowie masterpieces. Let me know if there's a lounge out there that does and I can go die there (out of happiness instead of misery). read more

I came here for happy hour drinks with my roommates. They had been talking about it for a while, describing it as a crowded fun looking spot with outdoor tables, so on a hot summer Friday, we were all excited to try it. Crowded it was. But! We only had to wait probably five minutes before being given a prime spot at a community table outside. By outside, I do not mean out back. The outdoor seating is front and center facing the sidewalk. Great people watching? Yup. We all ordered beers and grilled cheeses. I don't allow myself grilled cheeses all that often but holy moly was this worth it. Crunchy sourdough bread with melty heavenly mix of different cheeses with tomato and a side of mustard. It was beautiful. We all had a great time and retreated home good and drunk. read more

Popped by for happy hour, since we had about an hour to kill before dinner. I found two bar stools and immediately sat down to save them, while my friend went to order our drinks...only to get asked by the bartender if she knows me. To which, she said yes and then we were both carded. Now, I don't mind getting carded, I just don't think it's necessary to assume that I "conned" someone into buying me drinks. There's a credit card minimum of $20. The red lemonade was really good. read more

Great spot for cocktails. The espresso martini was great and the whole area/setup was very cozy.

The East Village is full of bars; some divey, some pricey, and some just not worth spending your money at because there are better places, like BUA. BUA offers a classy atmosphere, friendly bartenders, and a drink menu with all my favorites, half price during happy hour. Their habanero margarita is a great twist on a classic, and was served as special when I was there, with fresh grapefruit. YUM! The Bees Knees cocktail is also delicious, light and refreshing, made simply with gin, honey and lime (I have a weakness for anything that involves honey). They also make a mouth-watering grilled cheese, served with your choice of Cheddar, Tallegio or Gruyere cheese from Murray's Cheese Shop, served with a side of McClure's pickles.... and perhaps an order of fried pickles if you are feeling buzzed enough. read more

Bua is just fun. You can always count on the Irish to create a warm, welcoming drinking establishment. There's no pretense, I always like the music and the drinks are just brilliant (as my Irish counterparts would say). The funny thing about Bua is the sliding door on the bathroom. Even if you are aware of how it operates at the beginning of the evening, you *will* get drunk, use the bathroom and then think you are stuck when you try to push and pull it open and it just doesn't budge. Not that this has ever happened to me of course. read more

3 words...Dirty Pickle Martini. YUM! Chill vibe, nice bartenders, reasonably priced drinks. read more