The Long Island Bar

The Long Island Bar has the outward trappings of an American diner, with a chrome-and-humming neon facade, neatly aligned booths, and Art Deco touches. At one time, it was exactly that. And it could so easily be just another new-American retrofit, adding liquor and luring influencers. Instead, it pulls off something more ambitious and harder to define: a destination bar that serves delicious comfort food, pristine cocktails, and an enviable neighborhood spirit.

The ethos guiding the room’s decor isn’t subtle, but that doesn’t make it any less appealing. Leather booths and barstools and a beautiful polished-wood L-shaped bar–the vintage styling here feels earnest. This may be down to the place’s longtime status as a neighborhood favorite, even if it had once been something else entirely. Call it nostalgia, call it soul–whatever it is, the vibe is working.

Behind the bar, classic cocktails reign. They’re beautifully made, clean, and exactly the way you want them. Flashiness and trendiness and novelty hold virtually no sway here; it’s all about timeless standards and sincerity.

The food is similarly ambivalent to whatever’s going on in the city’s ‘hipper’ corners; the deviled eggs, burger, and fried cheese curds could be found on any greasy-spoon’s menu but are executed here with the kind of clear-eyed intention that reminds one of why they’ve become so ubiquitous.