For Fans Of...Bar Sardine

For Fans of is a new editorial series dedicated to the restaurants we’ve come to grow fond of over the years that recently said goodbye. Like a bad break up, we’re gonna need some time to get over this, which is why we’re including a newly opened spot we think captures the spirit of our dearly departed. This week, we’re profiling Gabe Stulman’s Bar Sardine, which announced it will close at the end of August.

Bar Sardine will serve its final meal on August 27th before shutting down. (credit: @barsardinenyc)

Bar Sardine has undergone several transformations during its residency at the corner of West 10th and West 4th street. One of three anchors that make up the famed Stulman triangle, no relation to the one in Bermuda, you could still easily get lost here eating the Bar Sardine burger. What started as an izakaya style restaurant, known as Chez Sardine, blossomed into a gastropub that perfectly captured the vibe of New York’s historically free spirited but now super expensive no one can afford to live here long term West Village. It was the type of place that stayed open just late enough for work weary residents to grab a glass of wine to take the edge off, and its food was always better than you might expect for such a nonchalant neighborhood spot. Date night, friends coming in from out of town, and one of the few spots where dining solo felt okay thanks to a vibrant bar, it represented the soul of a neighborhood known for its character. If you don’t believe us, walk down nearby Charles Street and check out the plaques detailing where famous residents like Sinclair Lewis and Woody Guthrie lived. We’d also make the argument no restauranteur understands neighborhood vibes better than Stulman, which made all the iterations of Bar Sardine feel so authentic as the West Village transitioned from peaceful enclave to tourist attraction.

Beloved for the Fedora burger topped with smoked cheddar, cucumbers, crispy potato straws, and a bbq mayo sauce, the rest of the menu as compact as it may have been must be given praise one final time. The assortment of options appealed to anyone who believes subtle decadence exists in modern day dining. For Bar Sardine, that mean a raw bar filled with local oysters, creamy chicken liver you could slather on toast, and salads like collards and kale topped with speck and parmesan. With only 28 seats, it was easy to see how a bar could feel so alive, and while the cocktails never got the praise it deserved like some of the neighborhoods more media hyped bars, they were exactly what you wanted to feel alive. To give you an idea, Fear the Reaper incorporated the Carolina reaper pepper in its drink, not something you play with if you’re an amateur drink slinger. And Stulman’s passion and experience making wine lists fun and part of a casual night out was a big part of what made Bar Sardine so inviting.

Most recently, Stulman reinvented the space for the Summer of 2020 to appease residents known as real New Yorkers who actually chose to stay in NYC rather than flee home to mommy’s. Okay truth be told, fleeing NYC during summer weekends is an annual ritual, but you do have to actually COME BACK. The Corner at Bar Sardine served buckets of cold fried chicken, shrimp and lobster rolls, and mai tais to go. The scene was as you might have imagined out of control despite desperate pleas by Stulman’s team for patrons to disperse with to go orders. The Corner may have shut down before the end of the summer, but the effort to appease hungry New Yorkers with tasty food and cocktails during a time of business instability wasn’t lost. While the crowds that congregated outside, most of it caused by drink specials at a nearby bar named Due West, always made waiting for your food a bit uneasy, even a pandemic couldn’t stop the good vibes coming out of this spot.

While we highly suggest coming here as many times as you can before the end of August (the last date of service will be August 27th), we also think you should use this time to check out a new summer pop up we think has all the makings of a permanent Village hotspot.

Dame’s Fish and Chips, the main attraction. (credit: @dame_nyc)

Dame the summer pop up, not Dame the sexually charged adult vibrator brand, is the creation of Chefs Patricia Howard and Chef Ed Syzmanski, who are familiar with the downtown Village scene having worked at The Beatrice Inn. Originally launching in the Lower East Side during March, Dame the Summer Pop Up is located next to Dante on MacDougal Street at Abigail’s Kitchen between Bleecker and Houston. With a take out window and a few chairs and tables available for outdoor dining, it’s setting itself apart by focusing on British fare, including a notable take on fish and chips. Dame’s version uses rice flour and vodka for its breading, producing a crispy, lighter exterior than you might be accustomed to. They’re using hake right now but expect that to change based on seasonal availability.

There’s also delicious tomato sandwich served on a bun from Ciao Gloria with the option to add bacon from Pat LaFrieda’s too. Could it be to Dame what the Bar Sardine burger was to Bar Sardine? Well depending on the availability of fresh tomatoes, it probably won’t be a year round thing, so maybe Dame’s fish sandwich can carry that torch? Either way, don’t pass on the tomato sandwich but make sure to have plenty of napkins handy because it is juicy AF. What we also like about this place, and why we know it’s primed to leave pop up land for a proper home to call its own, is they’re mixing in daily crudo specials and bites like pickled curry mussels. This is a sign of creativity and care, the “We know we’re just operating a temporary fish and chips shack to some of you but for those in the know WE ARE SO MUCH MORE. Dame is also giving up a weekly guest spot on Sundays for other chefs to showcase their talents, which is amazing when you think about the struggles of a new business. From tamales to Galician beach snacks, Sundays here are never exactly the same. Oh did we mention they sell Topo Chico and Pimm’s Cups? If you want to know how to spot a hit that resonates with food people, pay attention to signs like these.

Right now, we know they’re looking for a spot in the West Village, which has had a history of wonderful British based food business like A Salt & Battery, Tea & Sympathy, and Myers of Keswick which make up the cities unofficial Little Britain neighborhood. As sad as it is to see Bar Sardine gone, Dame is an ideal option to fill that space again as soon as possible.