d.b.a.

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41 1st Ave (at Btwn 2nd and 3rd Sts, East Village & NoHo)
New York, NY 10003

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(212) 475-5097
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Bars, Pubs & Clubs

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Restaurants

Related categories:

Food & Dining

Reviews
( 8 )
( 9 )
( 4 )
( 5 )
( 14 )

Best

When you read about d.b.a. there's the feeling it could possibly be the greatest bar in New York City. Then you walk through the door and get ignored by an inattentive staff. P...

Worst

The bar staff in this place is pretty stupid and slow but the beers are fairly unusual. Overall, it's sort of a dump but good for a dirty night out on a whim. Dont wear nice clo...

THE Beer Place! 1/17/2007

Great to go back every week to try new beers. They always have the best selections and of course the best of the usual... They dont serve any food, but you can bring in your own food, or order it from behind the counter, just ask your waiter/waitress. Pros: Beer selection the atmosphere Cons: Service during busier times more
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Endless Drink Menu 12/15/2006

Lets get it straight d.b.a. is not a dive bar by any means. It's a great East Village bar with hundreds of different drinks from beer to whiskey to single malts, to vodka's etc. The atmosphere is very welcoming and the lighting is brown/amber, great on the eyes when drinking. ?- On the other hand, the bar staff, on too many occasions, expressed disinterest in us, the customer(s), as if we were inconveniencing them. While they appear to be ""cool east villagers"" their tantrums made them out to be pretentious Upper East Side trust-funders. -- Other than the staff, the place is a great place for good beer (changes weekly) and other great drinks as well. -- They do not server any food, but have a take-away menu binder behind the bar, restaurants will deliver. Pros: Great meeting place, good for parties, great beer and booze selection, good neighborhood Cons: bartenders more
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Great Beer Selection, Sketchy Service 11/14/2006

Although the beer selection is awesome and relatively reasonably prices for the city, the quality of the service can suffer during the busier hours. The bartenders are pretty knowledgable though and don't mind if you ask for samples. more
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Great beer, new choices weekly 11/10/2006

Love all the new and unique beers available. Prices, although increased lately, are still great for what you are getting - just avoid the overpriced Corona's & Amstels which help keep the good stuff inexpensive. Great vibe on Sundays - Fri/Sat nights can get a little crazy. Bartenders are generally very knowledgable when not overwhelmed by the crowds and will let you try any of the drafts first before buying. Pros: Rotating new beers, BYOF(food), Daily Happy Hour more
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amazing amount of choices 10/30/2006

they have an amazing menu and do it so right here they even have a backyard garden when the weather is nice. i used to live right near here--this place has a super cool vibe....can't wait to go back more
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Terrible barstaff 8/26/2006

You'll wait while they talk. You'll wait while they do very little. It's almost laughable that they ever secured jobs. Seriously, go elsewhere. more
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Rainy Sunday 10/16/2005

I went to d.b.a. on a rainy Sunday for a beer or two with a friend and the place was empty. No wait, no problems with service and a huge beer selection made it one of my favorite bars from the first time I went. Pros: Beer Selection, Alcohol Selection more
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Bad Service 9/1/2005

This place is not only a dump but the service is horrible. Bartenders are extremely rude and feel entitled to a tip. Tips are earned not given and they don't seem to understand that. more
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Great beer choice slow service 8/13/2005

The choice of beers is excellent and the bar tenders are knowledable. The bar isn't overpriced either. However, the service is slow; some of them are downright rude. If you are sitting in the outdoor garden, which is a nice backyard, expect to wait for your drink. Pros: Beer selction Cons: Slow service, Large crowds, Rude service more
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very bad service 3/24/2005

I agree with many of the people who have written in to say that this bar has turned awful. I used to come here regularly, and liked it. Recently, however, I had a really bad experience. The staff was not only inattentive but just plain rude - the bouncer at the door especially so - shining his flashlight in faces and being, well, just plain rude. No need to go here - there's about a million other great divey beer bars in the east village and this one is not only nothing special, but likely to leave you feeling like you've paid money for rude service and mediocre atmosphere. more
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Intellectual dive bar?!? 6/3/2004

Despite a mostly indifferent & cliquish staff, DBA is an excellent place to go with friends to enjoy spectacular beer, scotch and conversation. The cat and patio add to the outwardly divy, but welcoming atmosphere. The jukebox is very good as are the monthly whiskey tastings. The clienele tends to be quite friendly despite the trendy location and high drink prices. It can get very crowded at times making even standing room a prized commodety. To be fair, when business is slow you can have a friendly conversation with the staff and some generous pours, but don't count on it. Overall, this IS one of my favorite bars in Manhattan, so consider the source. I give the joint 4(biased) stars out of 5. Pros: Selection, clientele, location Cons: , no buy-backs, inattentive staff more
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Message to Management 9/16/2003

I've been coming to dba for about three years. I've always loved this bar and will continue to love this bar. I like places that are a little bit divey, so this fits the bill. Management: Look, I'm sure your bartenders are nice people, but there are times when I'll stand there at the bar waiting for a beer and they're chit chatting, BSing, moving *very*slowly and basically ignoring patrons. Not just me. And it happens all the time. When this stops, income will increase, they'll get better tips, and everyone will be happier. Oh, and a buy back now and again wouldn't hurt either--this is, essentially, a pub after all. Pros: Great beer, Nice atmosphere, Smoking on patio Cons: Indifferent service more
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decent beer... 12/11/2002

The bar staff in this place is pretty stupid and slow but the beers are fairly unusual. Overall, it's sort of a dump but good for a dirty night out on a whim. Dont wear nice clothes b/c they'll probab;y et ruined by either the chairs or some ""Real World"" hopeful spilling 'some weird beer' on your trousers. more
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What has Happened???? 9/22/2002

I have been going to dba off and on for the last 8 years and it seems to have definitely taken a turn for the worst. I tend to agree with others who have given poor ratings recently to what was once a really good drinking and socializing bar. The staff is just downright slow, rude, and uninspired. Never heard of the word ""buyback"". Beer selection is tired......gotta rotate those taps now and again. As prices went up.......service and selection has gone. They've lost me as a patron. Pros: hard to find beers Cons: poor service, poor value, unfriendly staff more
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homey and stocked 8/13/2002

They have cask ale! They're friendly! They have a great jukebox! more
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The Sum Of All Beers 8/9/2002

Best selection of beers, single malts and whiskeys in the city more
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Great Selection 7/29/2002

Great Selection of wierd and unknown beers and liquers. Go for the drinks and stay for the outdoor patio more
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going, going... 7/18/2002

I was in love dba a few years back. Even before the garden. The garden was a lovely addition, but I believe it was also the beginning of the fall. The crowd sucks, the tap selection is no where near as good as it once was, and the wiatresses and bartenders are just mean and horrible, with the exception of the lovely Renée. I'm glad to see the owners making money, it's just too bad what was once the greatest bar in NYC had to die in the process. more
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Great outdoor garden 6/27/2002

Huge selection of beers and i haven't even gotten to the bourbons and whiskys. Great location and I love coming here early in the week or on Sat/Sun afternoons to sit in the garden. That's when it's not overly crowded. I avoid Fri/Sat nights, because it gets packed and the garden must close at 10pm. Service has always been fine with me. No food though. Pros: Outdoor garden, drink selection, fun crowd Cons: garden closes at 10pm more
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great space lousy ass service 6/13/2002

why do bartenders think a snotty stand offish attitude and bad service is somehow ""cool?"" I tried to like this place but the service is awful and the bartender was outright rude. I made a joke about the old timey pull taps and got a rude and uncalled for snotty come backer. I left no tip and I won't be back. more
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Menu for d.b.a.


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Editorial

  • Deep brown and amber hues spill across this quintessential East Village beer bar as if some of its kegs have sprung leaks. Above the heavy brick and dark wood bar hangs a daunting row of...

  • 5/22/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: 1 pm-4 am
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa, American Express, Discover
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, East Village
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