Day 90—Friday, April 9th
Da Ciro (Originally scheduled for Rare View)
Okay, so it’s Friday night and if you remember from my last week’s post I’ve decided to start going to hotel bars on Friday, unless there’s something special going on. Well, there’s nothing special going on, so I’ve decided to go to the Rare View bar in the Affina Hotel. Supposedly there’s a great view there, so let’s go and see if this 16th floor bar lives up to its name.
Okay, so I get here and the doorman tells me the 16th floor bar is closed for two weeks. Shit. There is a restaurant with a bar on the ground floor however...
It looks crowded in there and if I go in there tonight, then I can't go to the 16th floor bar. I decide to wait and find another bar.
And so I begin my walk down Lexington Ave in search of tonight's bar. Welcome to the Bar Explorer channel!
Hmm, this looks interesting.
It looks like a nice old-school Italian neighborhood restaurant, so you know there's a bar in here.
Wow, this looks perfect!
I met the manager Gavin, who not only gave me the thumbs up to take photos and do my 365 bar thing, he's a follower of this website! Just part of the crazy magic that happens on this bar crawl.
The pretty and friendly bartender, Mihaela popped open a Peroni and the Italian party begins.
Alex and David were seated next to me at the bar and were enjoying drinks and sampling some of the food that comes fresh out of the wood-burning stove.
The front of the dining room.
There's an impressive array of wine to be had at Da Ciro along with the full bar.
Some of the thin crust pizza that David and Alex were kind enough to let me take a picture before they devoured it.
The wood burning stove that's responsible for the unique taste in the restaurant and bar.
Another view of the cozy and friendly bar.
Olives!
The upstairs dining room.
Mihaela at work at the bar.
Gavin treated me to one of the signature dishes at the restaurant, Foccacia Robiola Di Ciro. It was an Italian delicacy. Simple yet decadent in all it's truffle oil deliciousness.
And look, my right eye matches the dish! I wish that thing would fade already! Thanks to everybody at Da Ciro for a wonderful evening! Goodnight everybody!
Review
Old world Italian elegance and taste are two classic ingredients that are part of Da Ciro’s neighborhood charm in the Murray Hill section of the east side of Manhattan. The downstairs dining room is both cozy and comfortable and there’s ample seating upstairs. However I’m walking into bars, not dining rooms and I found a hidden charm in the corner of Da Ciro. There in the corner of the dining room with a wood stove burning for ambiance and wonderful Italian aromas was one of the most friendly and fun bars I’ve had the pleasure of drinking in on this bar crawl so far. The manager of Da Ciro, Gavin welcomed me with a friendly handshake and encouraged me to take pictures and enjoy a Peroni beer or four at the bar. The bartender Mihaela was engaging, pretty and quick on the draw with a beer. Soon we were all trading stories with David and Alex who were dining at the bar and I felt like I had just returned to an Italian homecoming, and I’m half German and half Irish. Meraviglioso!
The bar is a wonderful place to hang out at, but the real star of Da Ciro is the food. The menu is old country, regional-Italian with everything from mouth-watering thin crust pizza cooked old world style in a wood-burning oven to Orecchiette Con Broccoli Rabe E Salsiccia which is broccoli rabe with grilled sausage for those of you that need a translation. I sampled one of Da Ciro’s specialties, Foccacia Robiola Di Ciro which is white thin focaccia filled with robiola cheese, drizzled with white truffle oil. It is a perfect example of simple flavors and textures married to make a an explosive taste and eating sensation.
There’s also the bar, which is such a fun and friendly place to eat and drink and trade stories with the regulars. Manager Gavin told me that some night’s people are sitting at tables waiting for a seat at the bar rather than vice-versa. Either way this is one Italian oasis you need to visit. Acclamazioni!
Da Ciro
229 Lexington Ave. (near 34th St.)
212-532-1636