Telephone Bar & Grill

Came here once and asked the girl next to me what she was eating, she turned to me and said «the fish and chips»… it was Winona Ryder. Great place and great fish & chips. Too bad I hear the place has closed.

Any place where I can get an imperial pint is worth going to. What’s that I’m talking about? Not a 16 oz. pint like you usually get (well this is America, and our pints are 16 ounces) but almost 20 oz. They don’t give them out, you have to order one for a dollar more, but I’ll take nearly 4 more ounces of beer for a buck.
Great place to have a drink while you’re meeting your friends or having a beer before going out to to eat. Even though it can get crowded at the bar and the tables can fill up I like the high counter they have between the bar and tables where you can stand, hand your coat, and enjoy a pint. I’ve never been to England but I imagine a similar design in a Reading pub.
Apparently the bar is closed for the next two months for renovations (so I read, I thought it was just closed) so that counter I like may be no more when they reopen, but I hope the imperial pints remain.

Unfortunately, I think the Cangelosi Cards don’t play here anymore. Boo. Oh well.
Good bar nonetheless.

I think I have decided to start a series — describing bars as the boats they should be. I mean really, if you look around a bar there is just a random assortment of things (and duct tape) that allow the place to function they way it functions — sometimes it’s all put together properly, allowing you to just let it sail itself — others are more of the ‘dingy’ variety, with netting, electrical tape, burlap and a prayer to God holding it together.
So I start with Telephone Bar and the ship it’s meant to pair with…
OK, maybe this was a dumb attempt because I am drawing a blank, other than a cruise ship
that’s it — a cruise ship. Not one of those huge honkin ones that is longer than a highrise is tall — one of the middle-​sized ones perfect for a weekend jaunt to Bermuda and the like. This place is spacious, gregarious, and just fun — it’s got a lot going on, including shared tables. and the telephone cabin entrance is just like something a cruise ship would have if their on-​board pub was called… telephone bar, I’d imagine.
a fun place to visit — with a cool crowd and staff.

Room
Abounds
At Brit pub
With so so price
And standard across the pond food and drink.

Besuchte das im East Village gelegene Telephone Bar & Grill im Herbst 2008 mit 3 Freunden. Wir hatten ein gutes Essen und waren auch recht früh dran, weshalb es noch nicht so voll war.
Der einem Pub nachempfundene Charme des Lokal hat mir gut gefallen und es sah sauber aus. Der Service war etwas langsam, trotz wenig Publikum, aber okay. Alles kam recht zeitgleich und die Preise waren okay.

The venue was OK. I watched the Yankees win the world series there.
The back room had my friend’ s band playing, which was really cozy and really fun. Loved it. They’re called The Cangelosi Cards, and they are AWESOME! The band receives a ⁵⁄₅ from me, but the bar was an OK 3, so ultimately my experience was a 4.
Strong, good drinks too.

Telephone Bar has been my standby place for years now.
It’s always available late at night, and you’re guaranteed to find something on the menu that pleases your palate.
I can’t speak to the beer or the brunch, as I don’t drink and am here only for dinner.
But the vegetarian shepherd’s pie, the fish and chips, and the tuna melt (served on an English muffin) are all winners. I also love the Stilton-​with-​broccoli and butternut squash soups. Telephone serves solid comfort food. The Diet Cokes are served in large glasses (24 ounces, I believe), but they come with a fairly large tab ($ 2.25, if I recall correctly), and you are charged for each one.
Things have changed over the years. Bread used to come out automatically for each table. Now it comes out only if the diner asks. Recession cost-​saving measure? Maybe. Water is now served in squat, 6-​ounce-​or-​so glasses instead of the tall-​boy glasses used for the soft drinks. Not sure what the deal is there. And it can be hard to get your server’s attention, as has been noted elsewhere.
The seating area to the left of the bar (as you’re looking at it) has been reconfigured into some kind of lounge-​like setup with couches arrayed around a large-​screen TV, but the TV, whenever I’ve seen it, hasn’t been hooked up to cable. I’m not sure what the purpose of the TV is.
The ambiance is hit or miss now. Sometimes it’s too dim, sometimes it’s too cold. It used to be more consistently bright enough to read in and temperate (I know «temperate» is in the eye of the beholder, but still). Sometimes it’s way too loud, even if there are relatively few people there.
I wouldn’t say Telephone is a destination for the food, but if you’re looking for a dependable pub-​like environment that won’t totally fry your MasterCard, you could do a lot worse. And the location, nearby the Village East cinema and not too far a walk from the Landmark Sunshine theater, helps a lot.

Stopped by Telephone Bar & Grill for drinks before dinner. My friend had been here before, and liked it.
This English-​style pub is pleasant and well-​decorated, with lots of seating. Red telephone boxes overlook the sidewalk sitting area, exuding a uniquely-​British charm. While those telephone booths don’t exactly inspire drinking, their large and well-​stocked bar does.
Service was fine. My friends had varying beers while I asked for an Irish car bomb. The bartender didn’t know how to make it but was willing to learn. I described it as best as I could, but missed an ingredient. It came out merely okay, but I didn’t get boondoggled on price at least.
Many English (and some Irish) choices fill TeleBar’s menu, along with American bar choices. We shared an order of Telephone curry fries ($ 7.95), made in a homemade curry sauce. They were warm and tasty, lightly covered in a tangy, mildly spicy curry, and mercifully without any sign of telephone wires inside. It was a decent serving, and we made short work of it.
I’ll be back for the fries.

Dear Telephone Bar & Grill —
Put that lamb burger on your menu instead of simply as a special and I will be there every week. It was on an english muffin with olive tapinade and feta and a side o salad. It made my day… ok probably weekend and I kept telling people about it all weekend because that’s what I do when I find an excellent lamb burger.
I’ve been once before for a beer and sampled my friend’s fish n chips. also pretty good… but my heart remains with your lamb burger…
I can’t really comment on much else. but the burger was worthy of 4 stars in my book.
Will note that my friend’s BLT came with oh about 5 fries… which was quite sad since I wanted to steal some since they are pretty scrumptious.

Place is roomy and does not smell like stale beer so that’s always a plus.
4 dollar pints for happy hour and have a decent selection including Hoeegarden and pale ale.
Great place to start the night and location is unbeatable

It’s a Wednesday night.
Enter.
Walk straight past average-​looking bar (complete with TV and neon signs) and into the lovely back area. Suddenly, you’re in another room, another time (maybe the ‘20s?). Old mirrors and hardwood furniture and was that a fireplace back there? Watch the Scandinavian half breeds play bluegrass in a jazz voice. Sip some Pinot Grigio and drink it all in.
It’s all good. 4 stars.

Reading some of the negative reviews I thought to myself, «GOSH these people are so overly-​critical.» Unfortunately they weren’t.
THE GOOD:
1) Pretty cool amibence. It has this strange shady-​pub-​yet great– place– to-​bring-​your-​kids vibe to it.
2) Service is quick
3)They partner with
so you can save money on your visit.
THE BAD:
1)For starters this place doesn’t seem to be run by Brits, not that this is a problem, but it does seem to strip some authenticity.
2) The curry sauce: okay not only were the fries too oily, but the curry sauce was runny and was made with coconut milk so it was a Thai curry sauce and not an Indian one, which to me was just plain weird.
3) The black velvet. Dear people who do the drinks at the Telephone Bar and Grill: Guinness cocktails require a spoon so there is separation of layers. I am also vaguely suspicious that they used white wine instead of champagne in my drink; it was NOT bubbly enough.
4)The Shepard’s pie. I could make it better. For me it was super «meh».
THE VERDICT: Wouldn’t go back there again despite the coupon. It wasn’t cheap either. There were VERY few people in the restaurant on a Sunday, which was not promising in the first place. Try A Salt and Battery, different ambience, but better food for cheaper.

Telephone Bar is a solid choice for a night out to meet friends for drinks or grab late night food (their kitchen is open until at least 1AM.) $ 6 pints is a heck of a deal, especially for the huge selection they have.
Got a burger and fries there the other night and the bun was delish — almost like an english muffin, but the proportion of french fries left me wanting more. My friend got chicken quesadillas — pretty small & basic for $ 10.95, but did come with a side salad.
The room in the back is really nice if you are there on a game night and couldn’t give 2 shits about the TV or trivia — the fireplace is lovely.

Came here for dinner and drinks with friends and had a really awesome time. I had the Shepherd’s pie which was seriously perfect — I hadn’t had it in years, and it was like coming home to an old friend. Piping hot, the mashed potatoes were browned on top, and there was a perfect meat-​to-​vegetables ratio. A friend had a burger which involved sweet potatoes and goat cheese — fantastic.
I had a raspberry rickey for a drink — tasty, a little too expensive for my tastes, though — I stuck to cheaper drinks for the rest of the night. We had plans for a beer-​heavy night the following day, so I avoided the beers here, but I’m looking forward to going back and giving them a try.

Shhhh… don’t tell anyone, but wednesday nights in the hard to find back room kick ass. There’s a Jazz band playing incredible 20s style jazz. Grab your flapper dress ladies and join me in this smoky back room for some great tunes and incredible vocals. The woman that sings sounds exactly like an old gramophone but in hi-​fidelity.
P. s. the back room is not smoky and 20s costumes are optional.

I’ve been to Telephone twice. Once when it was really busy, and once when it was fairly empty. I’m blaming the crowd on NYU kids, but at the same time the bar should have been ready for it. Having only one bartender on a Saturday night is asking for trouble. They pour a decent pint, and have a good selection of booze, but the time it took to get a drink was ridiculous.
My friend had his birthday there, which was a good idea on his part. They let us use the back room, which was also awesome. But at one point the manager told us we had to compress into the back half of the room because the main bar was getting crowded. No problem. But then after a half hour when nobody else came into the back room, it was kind of strange.
I wouldn’t be adverse to going back, but I’m not going to strain to get there.

I haven’t tried the food here, but my friends tell me it’s good. It’s a cute little spot with phone booths operating as walls.
I tried the poor man’s velvet, which was slightly sweet but good and quite filling. I saw quite a few familiar faces which weren’t part of my group… overall this place is cute…

Solid.
Good place to grab a bite to eat. Not somewhere where you are going to spend an entire night tipping back pints… I don’t think anyway, but to be honest, I’ve never tried it. TV situation leaves much to be desired if you’re trying to catch a sporting event or something. It’s not a sports bar. I highly recommend the cayenne chicken tenders. They are smaller and use a different breading than «normal» tenders. The dipping sauce is unbelievable. Great selection of beers. Good, chill atmosphere.

Went to Telephone Bar & Grill for a goodbye party. The backroom was reserved so I didn’t have to stand or wait at the bar for drinks. The food that was catered was delicious — sheperd’s pie, calamari, hot wings, quesadillas, and fish-​n-​chips.
I had a really nice time. Telephone Bar is a good place for a small party if you reserve the back room and provide food.
I don’t really know what it’s like on a normal night.

I didn’t look this place up before I went for Easter Sunday Brunch with some friends and acquaintances. I just showed up to an adorable straight outta Old Country pub. I mean almost immediately transported back to the good ol’ days of studying abroad in London. You can’t miss this place. It’s 3 London phonebooths in a row.
Also pleasant was the deceptive size. You expect to be sitting on top of people when you are outside but once you’re in it is very SPACIOUS but still WARM and COZY.
I will say for the benefit of the doubt that we were a particularly difficult group to serve. Half of us were an hour late for an afternoon reservation. I was in the on time half and I don”t think they knew what to do with that. So maybe that’s why I had to coach some of the staff in proper serving procedure.
They shouldn’t have sat us at our table without everyone present and accounted for. It made for awkward encounters with the server. She brought one basket of bread for our hour wait and no drinks. That doesn’t fly with me. So I leveled with the owner/​manager (a lovely petite blonde woman) about our situation. Luckily she knew what she was doing and QUICKLY accomodated 3 hungry and irritable girls with her EFFICIENCY and «YES ATTITUDE.» Also she was incredibly FLEXIBLE with us when it turned out we had to move tables.
Our new server was SLOW to pick up where his fabulous boss left off but in the end we were pretty much satisfied. My roomie raved about the Country Breakfast. I don’t think I lifted my head from the Norwegian Salmon platter and I had a glorious bite of the salmon hash … WOW! SO GOOD! Also exciting to know is they serve traditional Irish Breakfast … with a ½ pint of guiness. 7 of us ate pretty damn good for about 90 bucks including tip.
On the way out I noticed they have POETRY READINGS, OPEN MICS, & even FILM NIGHTS on many nights of the week. Would definitely go again with a smaller group.