Wednesday, March 14th, 2010—Bar 94
Day 94—Tuesday, April 13th
Cinema Cafe
Alright, tonight I hope you’re in a movie frame of mind, because the name of the place we’re going to is, Cinema Cafe. I have two good reasons for this: 1.) I walked by it the other night and it looked cool because silent movies were playing on the walls and I thought it would be something different for the 365 Crawl. 2.) Like a dumbfuck I left my bag at Bar XII last night and I have to pick it up. Cinema Cafe is right next door, so I can kill two birds with one stone. Okay, let’s hit the road before someone from PETA reads that last sentence and comes after us with buckets of paint or something.
First stop is back to Bar XII where I left my bag last night. I called and they said they had it.
And here's Alex with the bag he retirieved from last night. Thanks Alex! And for those of you still wondering, he verified he wasn't giving me the finger in last night's photo. Just a slip of the finger. Thanks again for saving the bag, Alex!
Okay, it's just a hop and a skip next door to the Cinema Cafe.
They have a nice little intimate bar inside.
Sammy the bartender serves up an ice cold Corona.
And there's free popcorn at the bar! Cheers!
The front room has tables and a nice view of Third and 34th streets.
Silent movies are projected continuously on the back wall throughout the night.
Jared and Tara were enjoying sangrias and the silent movies in the back room.
Lions and Tigers and Beers...oh my!
Patrick is the manager and a hospitable host. He's also shopping an independent movie he produced.
There's really cool movie prints on the walls, here's Julia Roberts and Al Pacino.
You talkin' to me?
The Marx Brothers, my heroes and an early inspiration.
Morgan's a writer and a teacher who came in for a nightcap.
And to cap the night off, Patrick bought us all a shot on the house. Cheers and goodnight everybody!
Review
Okay, this place is officially a cafe, but there’s a bar in there so it qualifies for the 365 Crawl. This is a unique little hideaway in the Murray Hill area of Manhattan. There’s an intimate bar with friendly bartenders and tables in the front and back for dining. Silent movies are projected on the back wall and some of the features include The Three Stooges, Charlie Chaplin, Godzilla movies and Lawrence of Arabia. Vintage movie pictures and posters decorate the walls and of course there’s free popcorn at the bar.
There’s a full bar featuring bottled beer, a large wine list and signature Cinematinis including: Lemon Sorbet Drop, Lychee- Tini, Strawberry- Mint Gin Tini and a Blue Raspberry Cosmo. The menu is massive. They have a full breakfast and lunch menu, plus a brunch menu as well. The dinner menu offers up specialty pizza, sliders, sandwiches and dim sum. Some of the entrees include: Miso Glazed Scottish Salmon, Braised Beef Short Rib, Chicken Pot Pie and Black Pepper Seared Ahi Tuna Salad. Happy Hour runs from 4 to 7 pm Monday through Friday featuring five dollar cinematinis and sangria. The food is also five bucks during Happy Hour and you can feast on tapas, pizza and five different varieties of sliders.
There are two other Cinema Cafes owned by the same company on 45th St. and 70th St. So, yeah, it’s a chain, but a local chain so it’s all good. Lights, camera...beer!
Cinema Cafe
505 Third Ave. (@ 34th St.)
212-689-9025
18 Comments
Reader Comments (18)
Chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot piiiiiiiiiiie! I love David Cross. I wonder if he ever goes in there? They should make a Cinematini for him...extra dry anything with little specs on the glass. They could also do one for Charles Grodin. Same drink but with a wig.
what a cute place! and the food sounds fantastic! and i'm with biff, chicken pot pie!!!
What a novel idea for a bar concept. I love that idea and the bar was very cool. The food did sound good and they have a wonderful selection of delicious libations.
What a fantastic place!
Thank you for letting us tag along and may I please add my kudos to Alex for keeping your bag safe and sound.
Jeez, Marty...you keep tempting me with all those different varieties of martinis, and I swore the damned things off forever after I woke up one fine morning years ago in the nuthatch with a hangover and facing a weapons charge! NEVER AGAIN!!! Love the DeNiro picture, as you've probably guessed, Taxi Driver was always one of my favorite movies, even though I thought old Travis Bickle was a little too tightly wound to make it as a cabbie.
Oh my God...OH MY GOD! FLASHBACK...the LITTLE PINK OMPAH LOOMPAS ARE EVERYWHERE...KEEP THEM AWAAAAAAAY!!!!! YAAAAAAA!!!!
Have a beer Jaws and they'll fly away! Cool spot Marty, love how you change things up here!
I am officially in love with this bar.. and i want to steal the travis bickle poster!
this restaurant is in the heart of the Murray Hill shenanigans. It neighbors Joshua Tree and Mercury Bar, 2 of the worst bars in the city, for non B&T'ers.
Cheers to you Marty for taking one for the team, haha.
@Steve: This place is actually a nice oasis in the middle of all those bars, I've been there and it's a good hang. If you ever get stuck in Murray Hill it's a good place to eat and drink away from the madness and fratboys.
yep good job Marty....being a mad movie nut i love the classics, this watering hole is a classic....plus i miss the food you guys have over there, every time i get on this bloody site i feel thirsty & HUNGRY!!!
@Gidget, i didnt get to tell you yesterday about our "Works" burger we have down here....its has the meat patty, tomato, lettuce, beetroot, onion, cheese, bacon, EGG, pineapple & BBQ sauce....the more up market takeaway shops put cucumber & carrot on as well...great hangover cure...well it will either fix ya or fuck ya......
Oh I just love vintage movie pictures and posters! Looks like a pretty cool place.
Love the concept, the decor, all of it.
And Travis Bickle... need I say more?
@fitzy take the egg off and i'll try it... I love cucumbers on burgers..beetroot is awesome.maybe i will have beetroot on cucumber on burger and see how that is.real bacon though not the american crap kind.
@Gidget, i hear ya, i could not find real bacon anywhere when i was over there.... as for the egg, i can only eat them scrambled whilst pretending i'm not eating fowl embryos....
just home from the beach....at times i take it for granted how beautiful this country is down here....but when i turn on the tv & watch the news to see the dickhead Japs slaughtering our whales in the name of "SCIENCE", & now we have to put up with the fuckwit Chinese running an oil tanker into our Barrier Reef, well i wish they'd all just fuck right off out of our waters...
sorry Marty, sorry 365, i've got the shits..... i just needed to vent.......(i feel like a beer....)
I is to drunks to say shit!
I agree Fitzy... yep!
Cool the concept of this bar ;)