Amor y Amargo
A bitters tasting room that builds every cocktail out of the shelf behind it. The 8 Amaro Sazerac is the order.
Why go
The room has run on one idea since 2011: amari and bitters are the base, not the finishing dash. The Infatuation says what that rules out in five words, No bottles of Schweppes here,
and describes the shelves as one of the city's most impressive collections of bitters and amari.
It is small enough that the drinking is done standing at a penny tile counter, and the bartenders treat the wall as a working pantry rather than a display, so asking what is new gets you a real answer.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the 8 Amaro Sazerac, or a spritz built off the shelf if you are starting the night rather than ending it. Then ask what the bartenders have made seasonally.
- Avoid: bringing a group. The Infatuation's account is "tiny, and mostly standing room with a few stools," and it packs out on weekends.
What locals & experts say
- The Infatuation (28 May 2025):
Despite the ornamental tiles and multi-ingredient drinks, this is a relaxed bar to start your evening off with a spritz or an 8 Amaro Sazerac.
1 - The Infatuation's guides: carried in The Best Cocktail Bars In NYC and The Best Bars In The East Village. Both are editor lists, so they place the room rather than judging the pour.1
Good to know
- Timing: evening onward, and busiest at the weekend.
- Booking: walk in and squeeze in. There is nothing to reserve.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: Bitters!
Verdict
could-visit — A bar with a thesis, which is that bitters and amari are the ingredient rather than the dash at the end. Every cocktail is built that way and The Infatuation puts the consequence plainly: 'No bottles of Schweppes here.' It has run on that idea since 2011 out of a room that is mostly standing, with a penny tile counter and shelves of amari behind it, and the bartenders will walk you through the seasonal builds if you ask. The 8 Amaro Sazerac is the order. It sits at could-visit because the evidence is one current review and no award or critic verdict beyond it, and because the room takes two people comfortably and no more.