Bubbly by the Bathroom

Last night I checked out Table 8, the new Govind Armstrong restaurant that opened three weeks ago in the Cooper Square Hotel.

Stepping into the bar transported me to South Beach – glass everywhere, flowing curtains, a little untz-untz music. The place was full – suits, leggy women and a boisterous group of young men pounding Heineken and Corona. We snagged a just-vacated seat at the bar and struck up a conversation with the bartender.

He sheepishly admitted that they didn’t have a cocktail list printed yet (…hey, if you guys need help, let me know!), but he was happy to offer some suggestions. We ended up with these:

The one on the left is called Basil 8 and is made with vodka, muddled white grapes, basil, simple syrup, lime and ginger ale. The one on the right is CB3, their take on an old-fashioned with rye, honey and orange bitters. Both were well-balanced, fragrant, refreshing and tasty enough to keep us from getting cranky while waiting for a table.

The food was definitely worth the wait and I’ll be back, but more to the point of this blog, the wine list prices are some of the lowest ones I’ve seen in the city. Go quickly, before Willis changes his mind!

Beyond the food and cocktails, the most memorable event of the evening occurred when I went to use the restroom. The bathrooms are located between the bar area and the main dining area, down a flight of stairs. They’re unisex, each having its own sink and there’s a foyer before you get to the stalls.

Well, in this foyer last night was a young gentleman with bottles of Prosecco on ice and a few dozen glasses. I did a double-take and asked, “Are you hosting a sparkling wine tasting in the bathroom?” to which he replied, “Why, yes I am”.

Turns out the Cooper Square Hotel is making some of its neighbors mighty upset with its multiple outdoor spaces and late-night revelry and sparkling wine guy was trying to make new friends for the hotel out of unsuspecting bathroom-goers.