luca lounge

ave B b/t 13th & 14th sts

i am continually reminded of how wrong i usually am with first judgments. here is another example. i initially ran across luca lounge when searching for a place for C & my joint birthday party last fall. i think i ruled it out because there was no option for dancing. in retrospect, i think this would have been a nicer space than ice bar (which i don’t recommend – terrible, overpriced drinks).

the second time i chanced upon this lounge was when K’s friend from high school was having a going away/i’m-going-to-an-”exotic”-locale-for-life-experience-before-med-school party. and it was then that i discovered my initial mistake.

luca lounge is a great, east village lounge. by that i mean that it’s not modern, or shishi or even particularly hipster in the way that the phrase “new york lounge” evokes a place. it’s kind of nice (especially the outdoor garden at night with a soft, candlelit ambience), it’s kind of antique/old-school (with the old, slightly gritty/antique couches indoors), and it’s kind of “brooklyn,” with that ambience that i got in my fort greene cafes/restaurants — exposed red brick, old wooden windows & door frames. the drinks are on the usual/moderate side for new york – expect about $5-6 for beers and $6-9 for wines by the glass. the finger foods are pretty good, if a little pricey for the amount you get.

as a great place for a relaxed drink and snack, and a great place for large groups (there is a ton of both indoor and outdoor space),  i would definitely recommend this place. (plus, it’s a 5-min walk from my apartment)

for dinner, i wouldn’t particularly recommend this place. i went for dinner back when A was in town for the weekend. the food was okay, but not great and not super cheap either. so stick with drinks, snacks, and lounging. i guess it’s not that surprising that being a lounge is what they’re really good at.