Art Bar   

52 8th Ave
New York, NY 10014
212-727-0244

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Art Bar stands alone on the edge of the West Village, a bulwark against the Meatpacking District scene. Not very beguiling from the street, once inside the front door, a long bar and casual cocktail area greets you, preceding a hidden backroom. Filled with a hodgepodge of couches and overstuffed chairs, the backroom is also outfitted with local art on the walls. In this room, groups of friends congregate around the working fireplace in the more seasonal months, happy to sip cosmopolitans or martinis without the glare of bottle service. The allure of a great happy hour, 2-for-1 draft beers and well drinks -- a rarity in Manhattan -- keeps this funky bar popular. The kitchen is open till late, offering such bar classics as fried calamari with marinara sauce, Thai spring rolls, chicken fingers and burgers with curly fries -- foods usually ordered when happy hour gatherings run later into the night.