DRINK: The WhaLES [NYC]

[caption id="attachment_91502" align="alignnone" width="505"] Photo from bedfordandbowery.com.[/caption]
The Lower East Side is perhaps one of the greatest parts of the city to go out in. There are endless bars, tons of people looking to have a good time, and few people to judge you. The other night, I spent a great deal of time at The WhaLES, on Clinton Street, and had such a great time I had to share it with you all.
Clinton Street is having a resurgence, I don't know if you're aware. But there are so many great restaurants and bars, it's really become a great spot on the LES. So after dinner in the East Village (at Gnocco, if you are curious), we walked down to meet some friends at The Whales which is down by Rivington.
We met a friend who was in from LA and had only expected to have a drink or two and then move on. But after closing and reopening our tabs several times, we ended up staying until 2am (we had a wedding the next day or I am sure we would have made it out much later!). The vibe at this place was super chill. The bartender, Sara, was so sweet and friendly and really fun to be around. You know how important your interactions can be with bartenders - sometimes they really make or break the night! But Sara was fantastic.
Drinks were reasonable, nothing super cheap but not crazy expensive either. And while the vibe was a little on the restaurant-side, they were playing great music and people (us) at the bar were dancing and having a great time. Next time I go, I think I have to try the food. They have a really cool American/Asian Fusion kind of thing happening here that I think sounds too good to pass up.
Until next time!
The WhaLES
71 Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002