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

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

Nice little bar, cute to sit in, finger food so so The service was ok. Otherwise nice environment Max 4 stars :( if I could 3.5 I would have 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

Great spot for a date. I really enjoyed the atmosphere.

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

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

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

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

Stopped by Bua on a Friday night right before dinner. They offer happy hour from 5-8pm - very late compared to Mose NYC bars! I ordered the red lemonade with your option of either gin or vodka. I opted into the option with gin and it was great! This drink had a hint of lemon and pomegranates. This place have a very romantic vibe as well with candles lit up around the whole entire bar. Just a heads up, the bathroom doors are a little heavy and harder to open compared to most bathroom doors. 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

Love it here! Might love it even more than its sister, Sweet Afton, in Astoria. The cocktails are really delicious-- I've had the sangria, capirinha, and the sangria. During happy hour (til 8!), they're a reasonable $5. They place great music-- its a happy and happening place to be, whether for happy hour or on a Saturday night. Definitely gets crowded, so it's nice to have a booth to chat with friends. Right across the street from Five Tacos too... so you can slip out for a bite if you're hungry! read more

Incompetent waitress. Don't bother. Came here for dinner and drinks on a Friday night and the waitress overcharged my friend and I's credit cards, then was both rude and unapologetic about it. Also, the food and drinks are not bad but teeny tiny. Here's the full story: My friends and I got dinner and a drink each. One girl did not get a drink, so they wouldn't take her card, since it's a 20 dollar minimum. No problem. She paid her part in cash and we asked to split the rest on three cards (should've been about 24 each). The waitress, who was not on her shit the whole night (the tan busboy with close-shaven black hair and facial hair--shout out to him--saved her ass at least 3 times) came back 10 minutes after taking our cards, stating that one of the cards only ran through for 15 dollars so she then took it upon herself to charge my other friend and I extra (30 bucks!) and decided that was OK. She flippantly stated this all in one breath, blamed us for the card not reaching the oh-so-sacred minimum, made no apologies, was absolutely vitriolic in her tone, and ran away before we could ask her to fix it. Now, having worked in foodservice as a waitress and bartender for years, I can assure you that this is a) not the way to handle this situation, b) something she could have fixed and c) definitely not even legal. The slender brunette waitress whose wardrobe comes from urban outfitters (wish I knew her name) claims she talked to the manager "but he said it was fine" as in, he was OK with the card not meeting the minimum, as if we were the ones who owed her an apology. If this is true and she did talk to the manager, then he absolutely mishandled this situation. They gave us no say in the matter, decided on their own that my friend and I would be OK with being charged extra, gave my friend no chance to give another form of payment, and on top of that did not apologize but instead made it seem like OUR fault. She is horrible and should be fired. I would have said this to them had anyone checked in on us, but no, she ran away and was never to be seen again. The food was fine and the scene was "trendy" or whatever, but given the way they handled this situation I would never ever be back, as long as this horrible waitress still works there. read more

I am finally writing a review on Yelp, and Bua is the place that has inspired me to do so. You'd think it was the generally congenial atmosphere, or the friendly crowd, or maybe the reasonably priced drinks (for Manhattan), but it's none of those. It's the Fried Chicken Sandwich (deserves Caps). My fat ass has had quite a few excellent sandwiches over the years, but this Fried Chicken Sandwich is the best I've ever had. I almost don't want to talk about it because as I don't want supplies to run out. I've turned a few people on to it. My friend gets two every time we go there (skinny bastard). Aside from the sandwich, it's a great bar. My favorite in the neighborhood. I like the comfortable wooden decor. It can get crowded during rush hours, but it's got a great vibe. Highly recommended. read more

I really wanted to give this place 4 stars....or 3.5 stars....it really isn't worthy of this 3 stars, but I think this place lets in WAY too many people at a time. I know it is hot and humid outside and everyone just wants to get indoors, but when you let in THAT many people this place ends up feeling just as hot, humid and sticky as outside! It does have great decor inside and feels different than a lot of other bars in the area. It has this sort of giant wine cellar type feel to it which I totally like. Lots of wooden decor and walls and it is so dimly lit inside it just sort of makes the entire atmosphere a little more calming...well that really only happens when you don't feel like a sardine in a sardine can while trying to drink you drink.... I also felt so badly for the bar tenders because they were swamped! It took us forever to get our drinks because the doorman just lets in more people than I think firecode should allow and it is too many people to serve, and this bar really isn't THAT big that once the bar has people sitting at it, there is almost no way to get a drink....I guess patience is a virtue though, right??? read more

Ode to a Drunk Girl. I can see you. Your thinly masked drunken swagger. Lady, you've got a run in those stockings. Your shoes are from Target. Go ahead, light that stogie. Can you? Let me give you a hand. Careful, you've dropped your lighter. Don't bend over so deeply or everyone will know you're wearing blue underwear. Fin. So this place is ok. The bartender wasn't too gregarious. And no ice in my drinking buddy's old fashioned, how queer. I wouldn't venture to the bathrooms, they're pretty nast-tastic. read more