265 Elizabeth Street, between Houston and Prince Streets, Nolita, New York, NY 10012. Nearest trains: 6 at Spring Street, B, D, F and M at Broadway-Lafayette, N and R at Prince Street.
The Musket Room books well ahead for the dining room, but the bar takes walk-ins when there is room. Sit at the 20-foot walnut bar for a drink and a few plates, or ask for the garden on a warm night.
The Musket Room sits on Elizabeth Street in Nolita, behind a quiet facade that gives little away. Inside, a 20-foot walnut bar anchors a refined New American room that has held a Michelin star since 2013. This is a restaurant first, but the bar and the back garden make it one of the more rewarding places in the neighbourhood to drink without committing to the full tasting menu.
Chef Mary Attea runs the kitchen, and the cocktail list reads like it was built to match her cooking rather than coast beside it. NYC Tourism describes the space as warm and refined, with a long bar, intimate nooks, and a garden for al fresco evenings. Come here for a considered drink and a couple of plates at the bar. Skip it if you want a loud, late night out.
For the same downtown polish, the room sits in good company. Pair it with Dante in Greenwich Village, the back-room precision of Attaboy on the Lower East Side, or the East Village benchmark at Death and Co. The Musket Room is the one you book when the drink and the meal need to land together.
The bar list rotates with the kitchen's menu. Ask the bartender what just changed. This is where the program takes its swings, and the builds lean precise rather than showy.
The wine program is built for the food, with strong by-the-glass picks. A good play if you are eating at the bar rather than working through cocktails.
You do not need the full tasting menu to eat well here. A few plates at the bar pace a round and show off the kitchen that earned the star.