Amor y Amargo

Bitters out the wazoo! An entire wall is dedicated to bitters. Additionally, the waiter/​bartender who worked there informed us that, «the only non alcoholic drink you can get there is water».
I had the 6 fingered man, and man! That drink was strong! The drinks might be a lil pricy but they go alongggggg way!
The sharpie mustache drink comes in a cute little bottle. A fun spot to meet up with a couple friends.
The place is VERY small so expect to have to stand and to have to rub shoulders.

A tip before I start… Get here early as it holds about 25 people in total. That’s part of Amor y Amargo’s charm though as it’s intimate, the cocktail program is silly good and the selection of rare finds from all over the world is on point. I opted for one of the pre batch cocktails that was served in a glass flask and loved it!
If you’re a geeky bitters nerd like myself, you’ll notice the great selection of amari behind the bar and stuff we don’t get out in California (for some odd reason). The bartenders are skilled and know what the heck they are talking about, so follow their lead. I’ll be back for sure on my next trip to NYC.

This place takes cocktails to a whole new level.
This old style feel bar has everything you could ever want in a cocktail bar. It’s small, but I found it rather cozy. It’s a «stand at the bar while you casually sip on your cocktail» type of place. Very chill, casual atmosphere, but towards 8pm… it can get a little packed in such a small space.
Each cocktail is designed so perfectly – but be aware – most of the drinks are strong! My date ordered a sharpie mustache and I went with the Bumba. Mine was fairly good, though I could definitely tasted the strong bitters mixed in. Really cleared up my sinuses. We ended up splitting a Di Pompelmo, which ended up being my favorite. It was strong, yet full of fruity flavor.
I found it cool how they have an entire selection of bitters that they incorporate into their cocktails. All which you can buy too. The bartender, even though there was only one of him, was still very attentive and pretty friendly. If you’re into cocktails as much as I am, its definitely worth a weekend or Thursday night.
PRO: Well-​made cocktails, unique variety of drinks, interesting small selection of snack foods, very attentive bartender, and a cozy/​chill atmosphere
CON: A little too cramped of a space for my liking, wish it served more snack food (small menu), would have liked to sit down on a stool – it was pretty packed.

House vermouth, bitter cocktails, interesting bottles, and excellent bartenders who love their work — they know all the boozes and don’t act like it’s precious or exclusive. A y A it is teeny, so one needs to visit on off hours. But that does keep us from signing over paychecks and taking a mortgage on the home to go there nightly. And daily.

I had been here before and enjoyed the cocktails very much. I returned with my baby strapped to me on Saturday around 4:30 and was told that it was against NY state law to be in a bar with a baby. It’s not. Maybe it’s just the bar’s policy, in which case they should let you know.
I’m not planning to go back.

Ok, I’m a sucker for speak-​easy-​ish type place and maybe it’s just cause it’s so small and well, it has a front window, but I say this because it also has some very unique cocktails and it focuses on bringing out the flavors and not really just the alcohol.
This is a part of the Death and Co line of business (Ravi DeRossi). Interesting enough, you can come her for a drink, and leave basically with everything you need to make the same drink at home. Not only do they sell the bitters which they use in their drinks, but you can buy the glass, the shakers, the spoons, the mufflers and even the molds to make the ice for these cocktails.
Needless to say, they arenMy necessarily cheap, but you have one place where you can try these ingredients in perfect cocktails before buying the products, and that makes Amor y Amargo a great must visit.
Now, when we were here, we were kind of ignored by the Bartender cause she could not stop complaining about a guy that called her out the night before and made her incredibly upset. either she was telling her story and complaining (passionately) to her manager cause the costumer was speaking ill to her, or he was just a costumer, but here is what the problem is, I enjoyed my drink, but not my stay, I understand that the service world is tough, I get it that we are human, but my partner also worked in service as well as my sisters and one thing you can’t do is bring that to your work space. be a bit more professional and let it go and treat the new costumes to your best so they can have the best experience. Sadly, this bartender was still having a real hard time and even got a bit emotional. Needless to say, we were left unattended and we enjoyed our drink, but never got water and because we asked her a question about the drinks mid story, she was a bit snappy. Again, i get it tags you need to take a breather, but don’t bring that energy to the bar.
At the end, I have been here a few times, place is usually packed, sometimes you just have to wait outside for a chance to fit inside. This is not a place to bring a date, more like a place to bring a partner or couple of friends. That said, definitely come get and try the amazing drinks!
Cheers!

Amazing little unique drinks with bitters and sweets! I don’t remember what I ordered but it was delicious and extremely strong tasting– I believe it had bourbon in it. My friends and I didn’t know what a lot of the ingredients were on the menu but the bartender basically broke it down by explaining that all the drinks had a bitter and a sweet in it.
Definitely a unique place… Felt like an older classic bar :)

They are doing some magic cocktail stuff here.
Everything we had was delicious.
On top of that they have bitters and other cocktail supplies for sale.
What’s the issue? It’s a small and tight space. We went early on a slow night and it was lovely. I can’t imagine what it’s like on the weekends.
Alas.
The 8 Amaro Sazerac is life changing. I also like cognac and amaro, though.

I haven’t yet tried any of the food, but this cozy East Village spot makes awesome cocktails. The bartender, Max (x?), was incredibly friendly, and we enjoyed chatting with him when he wasn’t serving other patrons. Despite being the only person manning the bar, he managed to get a drink menu in every customer’s hands as soon as they walked in the door, and the wait time for drinks wasn’t long. I can imagine it many not be the best experience when it gets crowded, as the space itself is tiny with limited seating, but when that’s not the case the atmosphere and lighting make it a great place to have a conversation.
It may have been an unfortunate coincidence, but when I was there few folks showed up ready to down drinks like they were at their local watering hole, and their raucousness threw off the feel of the bar a bit.
This may seem like a backhanded compliment, but Amor Y Amargo is an excellent alternative if you can’t get into PDT or Death & Co.

This place doesn’t feel welcoming. There’s less than 10 chairs at the small bar although there could have been more on the side… There just aren’t stools there. When you stand at the far side of the bar (away from the door), you’re right in front of the bathroom. You have to make sure you don’t fold over the bar because you might get hit by the bathroom door. What an inhospitable setup.
When you pass by:
— If you love bitters and there are seats, it’s a decent place to relax with friends. It’s quiet because I feel like the people who are relegated to standing only stay for a drink or two.
— If there aren’t seats, keep walking a few blocks to Death & Co.
— If you don’t like bitters, why would you come here?

Sorry, Amor! Maybe the one drink we got was just a miss, but we both hated it.
.As a bonus, they didn’t have a wait at 10pm on a Tuesday (whereas Death + Co a few doors down did. Thus we ended up here).
* My Old Piano (sweet vermouth, pummel rye, mezcal, apple bitters) — 1 star
My boyfriend describes this as clove-​infused gasoline. It really was difficult to get down, and we didn’t even finish it.

«Great cocktails. .. lame space»
Is this the new trend in the village? Closet sized bars with overpriced drinks prepared by «mixologists. Do not get me wrong, my beverage was delicious but it took almost 40 minutes to get one. If you come to this, which is really cozy, be sure to get here BEFORE 7pm. .. especially on a Friday. I totally understand that the E. Village is a popular spot to kickoff a weekend of drinking and hanging out. However, if you are claustrophobic or cannot stand to wait more than 15 minutes to get a 15 dollar beverage then this is NOT the place for you. I do not really see how one could chill and relax while having a beverage when 80 million people are in a 4X4 space (an exaggeration of course).

Fantastic place. Bartenders know they craft. Great pumpernickel Manhattan. Very nice atmosphere,

Fantastic bar! This is like the bitters tasting room of your dreams. They truly do it all. The menu features house cocktails, classics, spins on classics, and even bespoke cocktails where either you decide your base spirit or the staff does. From there you talk about a style of cocktail you like and they’ll customize one for you. And if that’s somehow still not enough, you can try flights and mix and max spirits to feed your liver.
Though I haven’t been to one, I did discover that they also have cocktail classes. Amazing! So if you come and love the experience enough that you want to delve deeper into the world of cocktails and making drinks (don’t call it mixology!!!) then you can check out their 101 Overview class or their bartending basics class. I believe they’re a couple hours long and $ 100 each.
And now that you’ve been here and fallen in love, they get you again by offering actual items to be purchased! There’s a whole wall of barware. Things like; strainers, jiggers, mixing glasses, spoons, ice molds, glassware, etc. And they also have (of course) bitters and books. So glad to see Scrappy’s in the lineup. Go Seattle!
I popped by very late at night before an early flight. In fact, I was only going to have an hour or so of sleep if I got lucky. So I took advantage of the Double Buzz menu and had a coffee cocktail. This place really has it all. It’s not a huge bar but it’s an awesome bar and it feels comfy and cozy the minute you walk in. It’s just a little neighborhood bar that somehow manages to be better than every other bar. If you have a limited time in NYC or you’re only visiting a few spots, let this be one of them. In fact, it’s almost 3 bars in one because under the same roof you have Amor y Amargo, Cienfuegos, and Mother Pearl. A trifecta of perfection in a competitive cocktail world.

Pros:
Amazing bitters. Inventive cocktails!
Cons:
The bartender/​owner wasn’t friendly at ALL, and was almost borderline rude when we were asking him questions about the bar and how it had come about.
We didn’t feel welcomed nor comfortable there, so after one insanely expensive drink a piece, we left.

Way overpriced. The cocktails are good. I wouldn’t take that way from them. But a $ 15 drink to stand in a small, hot space and be bumped by people with relatively limited service? The experience leaves much to be desired. Even late on a Wednesday night, it was way too crowded and uncomfortable.
Maybe, I am getting old but I’d prefer to have a drink at Bemelman’s at The Carlyle for these prices. The drinks are as good and you get good service.

Amor y Amargo
NY Manhattan East Village
9pm Friday 29^th May 2015
Four Stars
Love and Bitters is a beautiful saying in both English and Spanish. This small bar with a single bartender was absolutely great. Lindsay was quick and proficient and even made some balloon animals. I had an 8 Amaro Sazerac ($ 15) which used Amaro instead of Rye and glass with rinsed with Green Chartreuse. It was not as bitter as I thought which was surprising. The Drink was balanced with enough bitter and sweetness, and alcohol forward punch.

Ticking off another cocktail bar that’s been on my to-​do list for a few years. Amor y Amargo is a tiny, cozy bar. The signs say it’s a bitters tasting room, and they certainly have a ton to choose from (or to purchase). It’s standing room only, but there are counters against the wall, as well as «table» service.
Cocktails are $ 15, which is a steal for all the crazy stuff they throw into them. My favorite was the Sharpie Mustache, served in a glass flask. I felt like a classy-​ass hobo. It was also strong as all hell, but balanced. It had Tiki bitters in it, and overall, it straddled the line between refreshing and knock-​you-​on-​your-​ass alcoholic. Highly recommended.
Also tried the Roman Fever, which was decidedly more light. Kind of like a spritzy punch.
Will definitely plan on returning. Our bearded mixologist/​bartender was awesome!

What can I say about this place that hasn’t already been said? This is a cocktail lover’s fantasy. Except it’s not a fantasy. It is so, so real.
I went here on a Friday night around 10:30/11 so I wasn’t surprised to find that it was pretty busy. Be warned: this place is the size of my cubicle, so it’s not hard to fill it to the brim with people. Though it was difficult to physically reach the bar, it wasn’t subway-​car-​at-​rush-​hour packed. I was able to order easily and I got my drink pretty quickly.
If you’re looking to save money, don’t go here. Cocktails are on the pricey side. But they are 100% worth it in my opinion. My options were more limited than the average person’s due to my allergy to tequila, but both of my drinks were some of the best I’ve ever had. Pictured is the Valley Forge. It’s not on the site’s menu right now, but I do know that it was bourbon based, if that helps anyone on here. My second drink was a Negroni. I’m not sure if I’ve ever ordered a Negroni before (no particular reason why), but this was certainly the place to pop that cherry. I think their vermouth is made in house.
I’d suggest coming here on a weeknight or early on in the evening if you want to get the full experience here. One regret I have is not chatting with the bartenders about bitters specifically. This is the only bitters bar I’ve been too, and I’m always curious about cocktail construction, so I like to ask questions. When I went, it was too loud/​busy to do that.
Lastly: They have bitters for purchase! I doubt many people could make cocktails as drool-​worthy as the bartenders at Amor y Amargo, but why not try? If nothing else, they could be a nice gift option.

I know I am far behind on this one, but for those who have not heard, Amor y Amargo, aka Love and Bitters, is undeniably one of the best cocktail spots in the city. Every cocktail here is fantastic. I have no words to describe how much I enjoyed all my drinks on the first visit. Though it is certainly about a quality experience as much as their drinks.
The pro — Obviously, the cocktails are wonderful. The bartender knows what he is doing, and it is a treat to sit at the bar and watch them artfully mix drinks with speed and precision. This place is tiny though, and I think it is an advantage for a spot like this, minus the fact some nights will be ridiculously packed. It keeps the experience more personable between yourself, the bartender and the patrons around you. What makes Amor y Amargo particularly special is their insane selection of bitters. There are bitters that line shelves and shelves and the whole bar. If you are a virgin to the bitters and want to learn more, you will definitely want to pay Amor a visit. I am not sure if there is any other bar that compares in terms of the bitters selection.
My friend and I could not just stop at one cocktail. We ended up ordering three each. My drinks for the night was the lush and floral Scandal In Bohemia (Toccasana, Nardini, Blanc Vermouth, Old Tom Gin, Pimento Bitters), a twist on the classic 8 Amaro Sazerac (Amari blend, Peychaud’s Bitters, Green Chartreuse), and a Classic Negroni (spirit, bitters, Vermouth, Amaro). All excellent strong drinks. The Negroni here was my first Negroni ever, and I was an instant fan. Hard to say what my favorite was out of all, but my friend ordered a Sharpie Mustache, and I would highly recommend that one as well. They serve it in a cute glass flask with a sticker mustache, a unique drink overall. The attention paid to each cocktail is apparent. Bitter flavors are more subtle to each drink. You can ask your bartender to customize your drink with a bitter you are curious about.
The con — If there is any, I can really think of none. Amor y Amargo is a cocktail aficionado pleaser. They serve awesome cocktails, and the menu is certainly not boring. The ingredients are all high-​quality, unique, and rare. If a small, crowded space does not sound appealing, try coming early in the week or during the earlier hours. Amor is also a great alternative (as they are a block down) to Death & Co. in case the line/​wait is crazy there.

Mínimo bar anexo/​parte de Cienfuegos. Hermosa carta de tragos servidos de manera creativa. El Negroni es excelente y uno de los emblemas del bar, ergo, es uno de mis preferidos de NYC. El staff va rotando dia a dia, pero Soather es prácticamente una constante y uno de los mejores bartenders que haya conocido.
Super recomendado para una experiencia algo distinta (y abren temprano!).