Bar Henry

What a place that you can easily miss when walking by! I am happy to say I discovered this old-​school feel, friendly neighbor bar/​restaurant. It is very cosy with bar in the front and dining area in the back with exposed brick wall, candles and warm waiters/​bartenders.
I got their daily fish special with house corn sauce and my husband got their skirt steak. Both are very delicious and their portion is just about right. Steak was tender and juicy and my fish was crispy on the outside but tender inside. The corn sauce was just perfect for the fish.
We got the lemon tart as our dessert and it was light and sweet. The waiter told us they have BYOB on Wednesday nights. That is definitely a great deal!

The restaurant used to be good, was amazing the first time we were here but has gone down substantially after each visit. Last time they charged our credit card twice (two different dollar amounts), which took management two months to resolve.
This time we waited over an hour for our table (we had a 9:30 reservation). The staff was apologetic, yet did not attempt to accommodate us. Finally when we were seated the staff brought us a glass of dessert wine (Before dinner? Really?) and then made a big deal about how they comped us for it. We found it hilarious considering we didn’t order it and would have been happier if they had just seated us on time.
In the past the food was really good. However, overtime the food quality has down graded to mediocre at best. Menu has changed and sadly not for the better.
Management still struggles. Definitely not worth the wait and will not return.
So sad, such a waste.

I’ve unofficially adopted this as my classed-​up neighborhood McLaren’s. The burger with truffle fries is reliably good, the bartender is friendly (he made me a killer bee’s knees, which is now my new favorite cocktail), the sommelier is helpful (recommended a nice, affordable chianti), and the cool part is this. You can order half-​bottles, and when the second half isn’t sold, you can buy by the glass per the list on the markered mirror. So you can get to try some unusual things this way. It’s small, warm and intimate. Good for a date or for catching up with friends.

Outstanding wine program (all bottles available by the half; if you order a half bottle, that opened bottle is then served by the glass at the bar) and a polished, intimate subterranean space. I thought the service was friendly and plenty attentive, though admittedly it was a slow night.
I thought the food was quite good — the risotto in particular was a standout — but there is as good or better food to be had in Manhattan in this price range, for sure. What would make me go back would be the wine program and the overall vibe of the place, including the friendly people working there.
I don’t really understand the comment below about the prices — apps in the $ 10 range and entrees ranging from $ 18 – 29 seems pretty standard to me for Manhattan.

Super Friendly place. Great Food, wine, and a WIDE selection of delicious booze.
Service was super friendly!

The food: delicious.
The wine: good.
The prices: painful.
This is a date spot for people not afraid of a big bill. It’s gorgeous inside and the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, but it’s really much pricier than I expected, consider the reasonable prices at Café Henri on Bedford Street. I doubt I’ll come back here unless I get a raise any time soon.

I largely went to Bar Henry based on Unilocal reviews, I have to say I don’t agree with the 4 star average.
Physically, it’s a cute place. I might go back to sit at the bar. The dining room, however, has very low ceilings making for a ridiculously loud environment. I read reviews with descriptive words like «romantic» and «intimate». I couldn’t use either of those words when everyone was SCREAMING TO BE HEARD. Maybe I’m just getting old.
Food:
Bedeviled Eggs: Very good
Arugula Salad: Meh. A little too Salty and the difference between my portion and my date’s was huge.
Striped Bass with Celeriac: Fish way over cooked
Chicken Paillard: What do you expect, it was chicken paillard.
Service:
A tad slow, but our server more than made up for that with her great personality.
Wine:
They do have a terrific wine list…

This place was okay, but I’m glad I came with a 30% discount from
; the portions were kind of embarrassingly small for the regular prices.
I came here with a friend on the eve of what we thought was going to be another blizzard, so we were able to have a long, leisurely dinner — and it’s a very nice setting for it. The ambiance is definitely cozy and romantic, or just cozy if you’re catching up with an old friend. As you might have figured out from reading other reviews, the wine list and half bottle system is where Bar Henry really shines. The half bottle price is just the full bottle price cut in half, so there’s no penalty for switching it up. We asked our waitress for a recommendation and got exactly what we were looking for, so they get extra points for knowledgeable staff.
Unfortunately were it not for the wine I would probably be giving this place closer to 2 stars, as the food is nothing special. Neither my friend nor I had rave reviews for anything. She ordered an arugula salad and the mussels while I ordered the octopus starter and the chicken under a brick. The octopus was actually a little fishy, which was really disappointing, but cooked and flavored as well as it could be. The chicken was «meh» — not what I expected and kind of plain. Nothing to write home about. And as I said before, the portions were much smaller than I’d expected them to be from the prices. I’d say it’s definitely worth coming here to split a few half bottles of wine at the bar if you can afford it (there are very few inexpensive options on the list), but go elsewhere for dinner.

Bar Henry is located on the same street as Jane on the north side of Houston St, and can be missed easily. It is literally in the cellar level of the street. Ambiance is pretty nice, with brick walls and candle-​lit cozy dining space. The place was a little claustrophobic, but that’s something you quickly get used to in NYC…
Had the following:
1. BEDEVILED EGGS — YUM! This was by far the best thing we ate here. Creamy yolk, perfectly cooked eggs. Everything about this dish was GREAT.
2. ARUGULA SALAD (Fennel, Roasted Vegetables, Ricotta Salata, Hazelnuts) — Just a salad. Not bad, but not great either.
3. TACO SHORT RIB (Corn Tortilla, Guacasalsa) — I was so freakin disappointed with this dish. How can short ribs be so tasteless? I was very sad.
4. HAMBURGER HENRY (Waygu Beef, Caramelized Onions, Pecorino Tartufo) WITH TRUFFLE FRIES — The burger was shaped almost like a meatball so it was pretty hard to eat. Taste-​wise, it wasn’t bad though. The fries were a different story… Not sure if they just messed up our order, but they were cold, hard, and had NO taste of truffles.
In short, I’m not sure if I would come back. Maybe for wine, but definitely not for the food. Service was also pretty slow.

Looks are deceiving. I almost missed this restaurant because of their flashy, divey bar sign. But, everything changes once you step inside.
Imagine cozy, warm environment and straight off the bat, attentive service from the hostess. Enter the bar and then the dining area. Think red velour padded chairseats, brass finishings and brick walls. Turns out, the place is not only charming but also has delicious, decently priced food!
As a party of four, we shared pork belly and octopus (presentation was impressive, looked like dessert) as appetizers and enjoyed every morsel. Their burger is very legit – the thick, juicy patty is sandwiched in potato bread and served with the delectable, truffle fries. The chicken dish was nothing special, in fact, the chicken felt dry and too mild but the mashed potatoes were decent. If anything, the best thing of the night was the dessert– fennel ice cream a la mode. What a novelty!!! it was amazing a top warm chocolate cake. If you like minty flavor, you will love and remember this dish like I did!
Combined with nice, stiff drinks, great servie and extensive wine menu, well, you have yourself a keeper.

The list by the glass is petite but absolutely great.
Ethan, the bartender, opened a bottle of Ribera del Duero that was alluring. Bold and almost California at the nose but absolutely supple and dusty in the mouth… a true gem.
I really like the location, the overall swankiness and that they serve you the wine in a little carafe. Thank you!
I’m so tired of seeing wine poured like Coca Cola and half full wine glasses. Now I can sip the right amount in the glass and have the rest open up in the carafe. Nice…
Prices are also very affordable…

What a gem! I was expected some divey thing when I cautiously walked below the sole neon sign advertising the existence of the place but I was surprised — the location is very cozy, warm, and inviting.
Service was great, although we came around 6:30pm, so we had the attention of our server to ourselves. She was helpful with the food and drink suggestions.
We had the pork tacos as an appetizer and the 2 types of moules for dinner and everything was tasty and well prepared. Will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu!

Bar henry may be an ideal place for a date… or to eavesdrop on those dates as it was for me and a friend.
The bar/​bistro is disguised on a nondescript block of houston st where only a smallish neon sign leads the way to the entrance down a few stairs. You go «underground» expecting a divey atmosphere but instead are greeted by a simple yet sophisticated bar area for wine-​drinkers (clearing my throat), i mean oenophiles. The place is deceptively bigger than it seems – while the front bar area has a few elevated 2-​tops, if you go further down, you’ll find the more expansive «restaurant» part.
We sat at one of the two-​tops and tried to get through the voluminous wine list. Despite the vibe of wine snobbery that I sniffed initially, bar henry offers half-​bottles for almost every wine they have. Additionally, the wine list was for all budgets. We saw quite few bottles in the $ 25 – 40 range and as high as well… let’s just say there was a reserve list on the back where no half-​bottles couldn’t be ordered. We decided on two half-​bottles of reds, one from france and one from spain. Our waitress brought out the bottle, offered us the initial taste, then disappeared with the bottle and came back with a «half-​bottle» sized carafe. Whether the carafe actually had the wine we ordered is a mystery but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.
With our wine, we decided to split the bar henry burger and the heritage chicken under a brick. The juicy burger was topped with caramelized onions and some pecorino tartufo cheese which gave it a subtly salty and creamy taste. Accompanied by perfectly fried, addictive truffle fries, the burger was definitely my favorite of the two. The chicken on the other hand was just okay. In a city where there are many restaurants that boast a good roast chicken, I anticipated crispy skin, simply seasoned chicken. Instead I got skin that was a little too soft for my liking and chicken that seemed to be dominated by too many herbs and spices.
Regardless, bar henry provided my friend and me a rather quiet place to catch up and to overhear the couple behind us talk about 401k plans on what we thought was a painful first date… and then to be filled with curiosity as we heard the guy inviting the girl to his family’s house for the holidays. We never found out the truth behind that couple’s relationship but bar henry will probably have future stories to tell.

I love Bar Henry — their very cool half bottle of wine thing (where you can buy a half bottle of almost any bottle on their list) is the greatest — It means you can switch from white to red and try two things from their terrific list without getting plowed. Nice.
The atmosphere is cozy as all getout and the waitstaff is knowledgeable and attentive in all the right ways. The chicken liver mousse app is to die for — but definitely a sharer — you’ll be sad if you try to eat this and an entrée by yourself. My dining companion raved about the arugula salad — one of the best she’s had — well dressed etc. You can’t go wrong with the entrees — I’ve tried the lamb shank and the ribeye — both terrific. Save room for dessert — the tarte tatin is not the pro forma apple pie thing you might be disappointed by elsewhere — this is the real deal in all its caramelized glory.
One small snafu on my last visit — at about the time our entrees should have been arriving, the waiter came by the table and delivered an order of risotto on the house because «the kitchen is a little behind tonight.» They had a big party that they were dealing with. The risotto was fantastic and the fact that they just told us the truth and did something to make up for it made me like them even more.
This is my new neighborhood go-​to spot.

Amazing lemon tart! They offered us 2 of them when they heard us talking about it with some friends.
Service is perfect.
Be careful, Unilocal’s cross streets are not correct, 90 w Houston is the good address though

Half bottles of wine? Even very expensive and whimsical bottles? How great is that!
Oysters were wonderful, simply perfect, and the truffle fries were delicious! Truffle scented deviled eggs too (can you tell we love truffles?)
I really like this place, its different from the bar scene in NYC in general and I enjoy it immensely:)

I was happy to have found a hidden gem in NY Mag that was still hidden from the public. We just about walked past it. The restaurant/​bar is in the basement of the building above it and it’s sign blends in with it’s surroundings.
The steps are quite steep and surely dangerous after leaving the bar.
Once you walk in you’re greeted by the bartender and other patrons in the front. The room is a railroad type set-​up and very narrow so just about everyone is in ‘your face.’ Walk past the bar into the dining room you will pass by the kitchen, like this. It feels like a secret room.
The dining room is larger than the first room and overall I like it. Very intimate.
I had the chicken and it was very good… wish i had more to say.
I really enjoyed the place and the staff even though I am now quiet!

Lovely posh, but unpretentious bar that is perfect for wine lovers. You have the opportunity to try different wines by the glass, based on if someone orders a half bottle off the full menu.
The bar nibbles are haute. Truffle scented deviled eggs, crispy oysters, etc. Though for my modest palette I loved the burger (with truffled fries!)

I’m preeeeeeettttttty obsessed with this place right now. Unclear how this wine concept has not been capitalized upon & used elsewhere. Also had the best gin & tonic pretty much in the history of gin drinking recently, thank you Ted. Deviled eggs are superb & I will eat the burger any day.
Just seeing that stupid neon sign makes me smile.

Someone dubbed them the anti-​Minetta. Perhaps it was one of the Urban Daddy/​Thrillist/​Daily Candy list serves or perhaps it was themselves. Either way, I went in quite unsure of what to expect.
Bar Henry is tucked underneath the sidewalk in a thin railroad configuration. The outside sign would lead you to believe it is a dive, but once inside it has a warm, Parisian feel that is invites you to sit and hang for a very long while. A bar and opposing counter with a few tables is in the front, the kitchen serving window and bathrooms are in the middle and the dining room is in the back.
The service was super friendly. Everyone was working hard and pleasant. The bar staff was friendly and the selection of wines by the glass, bottle and half bottle were fairly priced and well selected. They seemed to have a lot from Fleet Street Distributors, which also supplies Moore Brothers. We had a bottle of Sancerre, a glass of Arneis and a glass of Gamay, all of which were good.
The food: Apps started at about $ 10 and went up to about $ 17 if memory serves me correctly and all were disappointingly miniscule. The chicken liver mousse was nothing more than a small quenelle with a few pieces of bread. The oysters were absolutely fresh but at $ 2.50 per piece, a bit hefty on the wallet. The Jamon Serrano was thick cut and delish, but we only got three tiny pieces. The be-​deviled eggs were also well done, and simple… and again there were only three ½ eggs. Thank goodness we stayed away from the short rib and corn taco (because it said «taco» in singular). We split one burger (with its Pat LaFrieda beef we had to try) and it was fair but kinda unexciting and a bit overcooked. The fries were actually a generous portion of shoestring fries and truffle oil. These were very good and gone in 60 seconds.
We got a free side of olives and almonds both of which were well… olives and almonds (though the almonds had some citrus zip to them) because they forgot our oysters and our ham.
All in all it was a fair experience. Our waiter and his co-​waiter seemed over-​qualified for their jobs and were very good. Our check for 3 people was about $ 180 for 3 people. I’d probably come back for drinks and maybe a couple of apps but I’m not sure I’d return hungry because I’d probably leave poor.
NB Two burgers and one side of fries was $ 44 (not included in the $ 180) and the people I took them to were extremely happy. So maybe I’m just picky.