Verlaine

Verlaine Restaurant Review:

A fine place for any type of rendezvous, Verlaine is the Lower East Side’s answer to the lack of relaxed settings and good value drinks and grub. Situated smack across the street from the area’s ultimate symbol of change --- Hotel on Rivington --- Verlaine brings as many people in for its first-rate happy hour than anything else. From 5 p.m.-10 p.m. every evening, the bar (named after French poet Paul Verlaine) serves up $7 lychee martinis and Southeast sangrías. Grab a place at the bar, or even better, at one of the cozy couches in the front of the room. Though Verlaine isn’t necessarily a dining destination, it could be --- the Southeast Asian tapas nicely complement the cocktails. Crispy five-spice calamari served with a Vietnamese honey dipping sauce, tender chicken satay (paired with a coconut peanut sauce), and coconut curry-topped chicken chunks help soak up the booze in a most flavorful way.