Bait shack chic from the boys behind The Spotted Pig and Freemans
Digs: Kitsch or not, they’ve got the sea shanty, bait-shack look down pat, with a dash of uncle Hank’s rec room tossed in. Seventies-looking wood panels line the walls, glowing lanterns hang from the ceiling, and basic checkered tiles compose the floor. Theme-appropriate appendages are thrown in as well like a billiards table, a fish tank, a mounted bass and a sizeable mural behind the bar depicting a half-naked gal amid a sunset. You'd be hard-pressed to imagine this was once home to West, a dimly lit, swanky little lounge (whose awning is still flying high outside, for some reason).
Drinks: It's clearly one of the most egalitarian joints around these days, where patrons can swill $13 tropical cocktails then chase them with a 99-cent glass of Busch. The beer offerings are standard yet fitting (canned Tecate, Anchor Steam, Red Stripe bottles) and mainly fall into the $5-to-$6 range, while the cocktail repertoire consists of tropical and nautically themed concoctions. We weren't impressed with the namesake Rusty Knot ($7), a one-note combo of blended rum, ice and mint, but the bar's version of a Dark and Stormy ($12) had a welcome spicy ginger kick and plenty of tart lime. And now that the weather is warming up, drinks like the Zombie (a sweet-tart mix of passion fruit, guava, rum, lemon and lime; $13) and the surprisingly boozy Mai Tai ($12) can offer some tropical irony (ahhh...Mai-Tais along the
Food: Given Friedman and Somer’s affiliations with The Spotted Pig and Freemans, it's not surprising that the food here is worth its salt—and won’t leave you bust. Baked mussels ($12) were moist and flavorful, thanks to the addition of
Sounds: Classic rock all the way. The antique-looking jukebox is stocked with all the favorites from The Eagles, Boston, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Springsteen. It doesn’t matter if you’re sipping your dollar beer or a $13 tiki concoction; the classic tunes go well with both. In fact, given the setting, we can't think of a better soundtrack.
Crowd: The bar's far-reaching West Village location makes it both a popular after-work stop for the (still-employed) bankers living in the nearby Richard Meier buildings, as well as a happening weekend scene for neighborhood folks, hipster-types, foodies and bar aficionados who appreciate basic grub and well-made cocktails. And expect to see anyone looking to chill out at a dive bar that's not technically divey, where a $1 drink is just as easily accessible as a $13 one.
Net results: what folks are saying online:
[Daily Candy] "A small new bar on the West Side Highway with primo sunset views."
[Grub Street] "Don't expect to hear Masta Ace or New Young Pony Club, like you might at the Pig."
[Eater] "It's going to be the hottest place on the planet and they really might not have any room for you."
[Juli b] "Tiki drinks served in kitschy plastic totem glasses or coconut shells are mixed up behind the bar."
The Rusty Knot
212-645-5668
Mon.-Sun. 5 p.m.-4 a.m.
Photo: Dan Peterson
