Upscale Sports Bars in NYC

March 26, 2009 9:19 AM

Looking for a nice place in Manhattan to watch the Duke/Villanova basketball (Sweet 16) game tonight, and maybe grab some dinner at the same time. I'm trying to avoid going to one of the many over-crowded sports bars for something a little bit more upscale, intimate, or at least quiet enough to be conversationally feasible.

It looks like the conflicting Missouri game has the CBS TV slot, which makes viewing the game from a smaller venue more uncertain and leads me back to the undesirable raucous of an over-crowded sports bar. Any good idea from the hive? Preference for midtown or east side Manhattan, but anywhere on the island is fine. We are a group of 3 or 4 people, in case that matters

It's not even clear to me what channel (if any) the Duke game would be aired on, or if the only source is snippets from CBS during breaks of the Missouri game.

posted by jameslavelle3 to sports, hobbies, & recreation (10 comments total)

Almost any sports-type bar will have all of it via their various CBS feeds. You should be fine viewing it from any size venue that really shows sports, as opposed to just having a random TV they flip on to whatever.

The local CBS coverage may be that game anyway (subject to normal cutaways) given the locations of the teams in question.

You should have no problems.
posted by iknowizbirfmark at 9:42 AM on March 26

Midtown East? Just walk up and down 2nd until you find something. Start at 55th and walk south. You can make it all the way to 14th hitting 3 bars per block per side of the street.
posted by teabag at 9:55 AM on March 26

I doubt anyone can predict how crowded a bar will be tonight based on past history. Unless it's one of those "smaller" places you're trying to avoid.
posted by teabag at 9:58 AM on March 26

I would choose a mid-level, slightly less popular restaurant that has a bar (i.e. not a sports bar). You can call ahead to see if they have a TV and will have the game on. I have gone this route for some informal business meetings where we needed to converse and have beers in somewhat casual environment. However, the last meeting we had was the first night of the tournament and where its normally quiet at our regular spot and there are plenty of seats at the bar (and tvs), that particular night was packed by the time we left. With that in mind I won't recommend that place, but it's a bbq joint and I'm thinking you could find something similar on the east side that people wouldn't normally go to when they go out to watch a game.
posted by getmetoSF at 10:13 AM on March 26

Aquamarine. 7th & 38th. Japanese. TV's at the bar.
posted by Zambrano at 10:15 AM on March 26

Reservoir on University and 11th. Tavern atmosphere with TVs. Can't guarantee Duke game will be on but seems a high demand game.
posted by spicynuts at 10:22 AM on March 26

The Bliss Bar and Lounge HDTV - and here's the menu and interior
posted by watercarrier at 10:23 AM on March 26

Ooh scratch that on the Bliss Bar - it no longer exists so I'm told.
posted by watercarrier at 10:32 AM on March 26

Most of the country has the Duke-Villanova game, so it shouldn't be as dire as you think. No real suggestions from me, but finding a restaurant with tv's at the bar may be your best bet. For instance, I'm sure Gabriella's on the Upper West Side (93rd and Columbus) will be showing the game and it shouldn't be too difficult to get three or four seats at the bar, but I'm not sure you want to come this far uptown. Roth's Steakhouse (next door to Gabriella's) also has televisions at the bar and will almost certainly have space for you and a few friends at the bar.
posted by dorisfromregopark at 1:15 PM on March 26

Thanks for the help everyone. In particular, thanks dorisfromregopark for the official coverage maps (another less reputable site I found earlier had the wrong information). That really opens up our selection of venue to not have to worry about special sports channels.
posted by jameslavelle3 at 5:10 PM on March 26