Amor y Amargo is the bar that invented a category. When Ravi DeRossi and Sother Teague opened it in 2011, there was nothing else like it in America — a bar built entirely around bitters and Italian amari. It closed in 2023, mourned loudly, then came back to its original East Village address in early 2025, renovated but otherwise unchanged. The regulars showed up immediately.
The Vibe
Small. Mostly standing room, a few stools, penny-tile counters to rest your glass on. Hundreds of amaro bottles line the walls — it reads somewhere between an old apothecary and a very serious bartender's apartment. Low light, moderate noise. Weeknights it's conversational; weekends it packs fast and the energy tips social without going loud. The bartenders know every bottle on the shelf and are genuinely happy to explain them.
What to Order
- The Sharpie Mustache — amaro, Bonal, rye, gin, and tiki bitters. Sounds like a lot; drinks dangerously easy.
- The 8 Amaro Sazerac — eight amari standing in for the rye, Peychaud's and orange bitters, Chartreuse rinse. It's been on the menu since night one and never left. Order it if you want to understand what this bar is about.
- Skip the beer impulse — there's no beer, and that's the point. If you hate bitter, this is the wrong bar. Go in willing or go elsewhere.
When to Come
A weeknight before or after dinner on the same block — this is the East Village, everything is walkable. First dates work well here because the menu is a conversation topic and the bartenders make the room feel easy. Weekends after 9pm get packed; arrive early or accept the crowd. No reservations for walk-ins; just show up.
The Bottom Line
One of the few bars in New York with a genuine point of view — go once to understand it, go back because the drinks are that good.