Dylan Thomas soused himself to death there, the Beat poets stumbled from bar to bar and jazz greats played till dawn. But Hudson Bar and Books, an elegant and cozy lounge located on Hudson Street between Horatio and Jane, has thrived since it opened in 1991. Owner Raju Mirchandani, a veteran of the hotel and restaurant business, thinks he has the answer. When kicking back and drinking fine booze, you don't want a jukebox bar. The neighborhood has plenty of those.
Intimate tables line the wall opposite the fully-stocked bar.
Although small, the wine list is well chosen. Bring your own smokes. Cigars, purchased by Mirchandani at Alfred Dunhills, are overpriced, even by cigar bar standards. Service was extraordinary. Beer glasses were frosted, new wine glasses were presented with each pour, and the 30 or so customers dressed casually to just shy of formal felt at home, never having to wait for a drink.