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    Bua

    3.9 (574 reviews)
    ModerateBars, Gastropubs
    Wed 4:00 pm - 4:00 am (Next day)
    Thu 4:00 pm - 4:00 am (Next day)

    Bua Photos

    BUA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Bua

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    Reviews With Photos

    Bea R.

    First things first, if you're a college student or a young adult between the ages of 20-25, then you might like this spot. If not, I don't recommend it. I'll explain... We were exploring the East Village in the evening and decided to try Bua, a local bar. A bouncer asked for IDs and we walked into a tight, dark space. There's bar seating and a few bigger tables to the left, but it's very small. You're constantly bumping into people. Not exactly dance friendly. Luckily we were able to snag some seats at the bar. I had to use my iPhone's flashlight to see the menu because that's how dark it is. In addition to drinks, they also have a not-so-impressive food menu. The food choices reminded me of high school cafeteria food (burgers, chicken strips, fries, nachos). The drinks were disappointing, to put it mildly. We ordered: *Tito's Sparkling Lemonade ($14) - Did I just drink water?... LOL. There was no alcohol, no lemonade, nothing sparkling about this. *Friend of a Friend cocktail ($14) - Yuck... it tasted like a cherry cough drop or Nyquil. The description said it contains dark rum, fernet branca, housemade blueberry syrup, lemon, and peychaud bitters. There was nothing good about it. I don't drink beer but my +1 ordered a few and said they were good. The crowd consisted mainly of college kids. I wasn't too big on most of the music choices, especially for a bar atmosphere. I understand that everyone has different music tastes, but ehhh. Big turn off for me. Music plays a big role in setting the mood and atmosphere. Honestly, I only enjoyed this spot because of the person I was with haha. We made the most of the tiny space we had and still danced. Objectively, it's just a small bar with very mediocre drinks.

    Fried things
    Wendy B.

    Should have checked on my own review and not ordering the Fried Pickle again, it was thick batter, under-fried, and untasty. Great neighborhood wine bar with great pricing, cozy semi outdoor place. Fries was really good!

    Drinks
    Sharlene S.

    3.5 Cool bar. Kinda crowded/tight seating. Good for big groups. Food, just ok. Fries-delish. Creative and tasty cocktails. Servers were attentive.

    Tara O.

    Great spot for cocktails and a good burger! Try the pickle martini. Low lighting with candles and brick walls create a cozy, romantic but casual environment. Great service too!

    Drinks
    Alivia A.

    Drinks are very good. Table service stopped around 12 and that was disappointing. Fried pickles were good!

    Menu
    Midori G.

    We came here for happy hour on a Thursday. We came in at around 530 and it was hardly close to full at the bar. The happy hour drinks are a good price for how nice they taste. I got the 98th and Rockaway and the agave Fresca. The 98th and rockaway stole the show in my opinion. Perfectly refreshing without being too sweet. Overall $20 for 2 great cocktails is a steal!

    Fish taco
    Christopher S.

    Good drinks and solid food. The chicken tenders were definitely better than the taco, but either way you're coming here for the drinks and vibe. Good spot!

    Drink Menu
    Nicole G.

    A solid spot with a kitchen open late and pretty good prices. The seating area is a bit disorganized, with parties having to pounce on the first open table they see, watching hawk-eyed for any hint of another table prepping to leave. We finally grabbed a table and ordered a sour beer, a chicken sandwich, and the pickle cocktail. The sour beer was pretty flat and tasted like a sour juice. Not bad but pretty sugary. I love trying new beers and sours but this wasn't one I'd get again. The chicken sandwich was delicious but had almost zero actual chicken in it. Looking at other photos of the chicken sandwich, it seems like it has the proper ratio (so maybe we went on an off day) but we had one super thin fried chicken in the whole sandwich. (If you look at the photo, it's all Cole slaw and then a tiny sliver of chicken underneath). The slaw is super tasty though! And the bread is legit perfectly buttered and toasted. The pickle cocktail was good! A nice pickle flavor with a kick. We ordered the one with vodka (you can choose between vodka and gin-- Vodka is what the bartender recommended) and it went great with the sandwich. Would return! I'd be interested in seeing if the chicken sandwich is more chicken-y on another day

    Gruyere grilled cheese with side of pickles and some kind of mustard
    Yocelin H.

    Vibes here were great! Crowded and took us a minute to snag a table but our waitress was super attentive and on it. The yummmiest espresso martini: mocha joe!.My boyfriend had the spicy chicken sandwich and I had a gruyère grilled cheese! We only stayed for a bit but it was 10/10

    Pickle martini

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    9 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Great spot. They do a great Guinness. The staff are friendly. The chicken tenders are a great bar snack. So are the deep fired cheese curds.

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    6 years ago

    This place is beautiful, the food is tasty, try the chicken fried rice, truest me you gonna love it

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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

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    Page 3 of 15

    Bua Reviews in Other Languages

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    Bartley Dunnes

    Bartley Dunnes

    4.4
    (146 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    Bartley Dunnes! The employees here showed us love and a great time! My cousin and I came here after…read morea small concert up the street. Thanks to my fellow Yelpers, I was lead to this great spot for a late dinner and cocktails on a Friday night. The hostess was really friendly and quicky sat us at a two seater near the bar, which we appreciated. The ambiance was light and friendly and they even had a DJ playing all the good jams! I think I danced a bit, (definitely liquid courage). The DJ read the room and created a fun ambiance. The waitress came over a few minutes later and quickly took our drink and meal order. We ordered the Tuna Crispy Rice ( Yum), Guinness Wager Sliders (Nom Nom), Korean Chicken Boas (My Favorite!) and Carnitas Tacos.....I'm embarrassed to admit that we cleaned our plates like a couple of savages. Bartley Dunnes is a great choice to come solo, meet up with friends or come as a group of no more than 4, unless you make a reservation. They have a second floor that I unfortunately didn't get a chance to check out, so I can't write about that. However, I did see people coming and going straight up. I'll be back!

    Stopped by Bartley Dunnes for a few happy hour drinks before heading to Museum of Modern Art for an…read moreevent. They have a great happy hour running from open until 8 PM, including $6 beers and $8 cocktails, which is a great deal for the area. ordered the Bartleys Spritz (Aperol Spritz) and a Tequila Mule. We sat at the bar, which runs about half the length of the space, and there were also plenty of tables throughout. The back section of the bar feels a bit separated from the main entrance area. There are some TVs throughout, and everything inside seemed fairly new and well maintained. It was not very crowded on a Tuesday early evening, so service was quick and the staff was very friendly. We did not order food this time, but everything coming out of the kitchen looked and smelled great. Overall, I would definitely recommend this spot for happy hour drinks in the MoMA/Midtown West area.

    Photos
    Bartley Dunnes Main Bar
    Bartley Dunnes Main Bar
    Brunch Burger
    Brunch Burger
    Frozen Irish Coffee

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    Frozen Irish Coffee
    Lillie's Victorian Establishment

    Lillie's Victorian Establishment

    3.9
    (2.1k reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Free WiFi

    Located near Theater District NYC. The perfect pre-broadway show dinner and drinks or if you're in…read moreTimes Square. Defiantly make a reservation for this one but you might get lucky to just walk in. Super stunning atmosphere and took amazing photos inside. Drinks where fabulous and a great wine selection. I would recommend their lobster ravioli and we shared their tuna tartar. Good idea to get to this place early as service was a bit slower. We waited 25 minuets for our second round of drinks and ultimately had to cancel them as we had our show to attend.

    Ambiance - all the tables are right next to each other. not sure if it is design for a quick eat or…read morebest for drinking only. it is not enough of space for seating or if you order extra plate to eat. SMALL, and tight. The restaurant decoration is superb, which earn the extra star. The only thing I have a positive about. Restaurant is filled with flowers and very festive, a great place for pictures but not sure if that is possible since everyone is on top of each other. Service - Lacking and unattentive - waited a period of time for the main waitress to approach. No eye contact, so a bit hard to get their attention /service. The helper was friendlier but unable to help, attempt to move us to a bigger table next to us, but the main waitress came and told us it was reserved, so we were denied- thought it was reserved for a bigger party, but it was reserved for 2 ppl too. The waitress can exchange the table for us before the reservation ppl arrive but choose not too, customer service was definitely lacking. Especially the restuarant was not that busy (they had time standing around). Food - we ordered the afternoon tea set for each person. the setting was presentable, it taken alot of space on the table but it was just regular egg, salmon and cucumber sandwich, scones, macarons, and some other sweets with berries and grapes nothing special about it, no signature monologs or any specialty. The tea pot set was pretty but the tea bag were regular tea bag, there is no hot water refill once you finished, need to pay $10 extra for new tea pot. Starbucks coffee is cheaper!

    Photos
    Lillie's Victorian Establishment
    Lillie's Victorian Establishment
    Lillie's Victorian Establishment

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    Oscar Wilde

    Oscar Wilde

    3.8
    (1.7k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$$
    Private events
    Free WiFi

    Went there for my 21st! Loved the decorations, felt really fun and interesting. There was a DJ…read moreplaying music, only complaint is that the music didn't really fit the vibe but I appreciated it anyway. Server was a sweetheart, really relaxed and didn't seem stressed or overworked, she was able to talk and not sprint around the restaurant. Food was delicious, didn't LOVE the broccoli-avocado appetizer, it felt bland but it was still a nice refreshing starter. Ordered the truffle gnocchi, AMAZING! So cheesy but not overwhelming. My mom ordered the beet salad. Not usually a fan of beets but I really loved the sauce (balsamic) and it was actually very good. I ordered all 3 mocktails and didn't have a complaint about any. Not overly sweet but not "dirty". Bathrooms are down a few hallways, not too hard to find tho. Overall, loved it. Definitely felt more like a bar than a restaurant.

    What a gorgeous bar to celebrate the man, the myth, the legend. I had just reread The Picture of…read moreDorian Gray with my book club so this was a fitting experience. The interior is beautiful, every corner is eye catching. They even have a screen that showcases his famous quotes. They have an extensive drink menu with themed cocktails. It was busy so things might get a bit delayed but the staff was nice. We ordered a bunch of cocktails. The Exile- This is a sweet and refreshing drink with raspberries, strawberries, vodka, and finished with greek mastiha mint. Secret Knock- This is a smoky drink with a bit of a bite. You get peach liqueur with cinnamon smoke, bitters, and yellowstone bourbon. Robbie's Reverie- This starts with violet gin, lemon, rhubarb, and tonic. Strong and citrusy. Devil's Kiss- You start with tempranillo, a little bit of strawberry apertif and orange liqueur, Finished with blackcurrant and brandy. Fruity with a kick. Great experience overall!

    Photos
    Oscar Wilde
    Oscar Wilde
    Oscar Wilde

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    Take31

    Take31

    4.3
    (1.1k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$$

    Came here for dinner and it did not disappointment. The signature makguili is dangerous - so…read moredeliciously sweet! Please order the pork belly crepe - so unique and yummy. The Cajun fried rice was unique in flavor. Everything was great! Staff was amazing.

    Finally got to check out Take31 after having it on my list for forever. I think if I was in college…read moreor early 20s I would've really liked this place back then. It's one of those spots that are simple/bar korean food forward with slight modernization/americanization and it might be best used as a place before going out to carb up, because the portions are large but nothing really stood out to me flavor-wise making me want to come back just to have the food on its own. The jajangmeyon was tasty although a little basic. The corn fritter was my favorite, as it was hefty and a little sweet with a nice crunch but didn't wow me either. The chicken and fries are what you would expect. I think this place is good if you are looking for volume/portion size but not necessarily great for a one on one date or dinner where the focus is the food. The frozen alcoholic drinks were tasty enough though I didn't get a buzz. This place has been around for a long time, and I typically love all of Hand Hospitality's creations, but can't say this one is my favorite. However, it has its own role in the community and definitely still think it's worth coming if you fit the demographic I described. The wait staff was nice and attentive, the vibes were good and the place was generally chic and modern; it was not hard to get a reservation.

    Photos
    Take31
    Cod Roe Seafood Udon
    Cod Roe Seafood Udon
    Toomba

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    Toomba
    Barn Joo 35

    Barn Joo 35

    4.2
    (2.6k reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    If you are looking for great affordable Happy Hour place near Korean town, I would highly recommend…read morethis place. Their Happy Hours are longer from 12pm-6pm every day so you can get light lunch there. Available on the menu Fried Chili Shrimp, Chicken Wings, Crunchy Tofu, Fried Dumplings, Tteokboki. Also for lunch, they serve affordable Tapas if you want light meal. We went there for dinner and ordered Hwe Muchim (Spicy Korean Ceviche Salad) as appetizer. All the fish served with Korean chili sauce was fresh. Crunchy Tofu covered in sweet and spicy sauce and yet still crispy. Beef Galbi Buns were succulent and juicy filled with so much flavor. I love their Bimbibap Uni. Everything we ate was excellent plus service was phenomenal. Super friendly and attentive ! What we ordered : - Crunchy Tofu in sweet & spicy sauce - Tuna Mayo - Steamed Pork Dumplings - Hwe Muchim (Spicy Korean Ceviche with salad) - Beef Galbi Buns - Bimbibap Uni - Fisherman Stew - NY Bites (marinated short ribs)

    Barn Joo 35 was solid, but nothing really stood out to me. We made a reservation and I'm glad we…read moredid because the place was packed when we got there. The service was quick, and all of the dishes we ordered were good enough--everything tasted fine and there wasn't anything I disliked. That said, there also wasn't a dish that I absolutely loved or would come back specifically for.

    Photos
    Indoor Dining by their Signature Moon
    Indoor Dining by their Signature Moon
    Galbi-Jjim
    Galbi-Jjim
    Ginger limeade

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    Ginger limeade

    Bua - bars - Updated June 2026

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