The West Village has never exactly suffered from a shortage of good bars, but Love Thy Neighbor NYC has arrived with a concept that manages to feel distinctly its own. Located at 55 Christopher Street, the intimate cocktail bar and restaurant combines Japanese-inspired drinks, creative small plates and a seriously atmospheric space.
For anyone searching for Love Thy Neighbor NYC, the first thing to know is that this is not your average neighborhood watering hole. The cocktail program draws heavily from Japanese bartending techniques, with drinks such as the G&T for Neighbors, featuring wasabi-infused gin, elderflower, lychee, celery and tonic. There is also a Tokyo Banana made with banana-infused whisky and vermouth, milk-brew coffee and shio koji.
Translation: the cocktail menu is not interested in playing it safe.
The food follows a similarly inventive path. The current menu includes dishes such as NYC Pastrami Tartare, Tokyo Crudo, grilled koji calamari, karaage and miso broth mussels, giving diners plenty of reasons to stay for more than one drink.
Then there’s the room. Designed around the philosophy of “no straight lines,” Love Thy Neighbor features curved architectural forms, intimate booths and a sculptural, basement-level setting. The concept also draws on the West Village’s queer history and community, including a brick from the Stonewall Inn incorporated into the space.
For NYC date night, cocktails with friends or anyone hunting for a new West Village bar, Love Thy Neighbor offers plenty to investigate.
And if the reservation system says everything is booked, don’t immediately give up. The restaurant says bar seats are reserved for walk-ins, making spontaneity unusually useful in a city where spontaneity usually means standing outside in the rain.
Because sometimes loving thy neighbor means sharing a cocktail.
Or ordering your own.
