Double Crown

Who knew that this gem existed on Bowery? Where have I been all these years? I initially took "Double Crown", stamped in white on a navy awning, to mean something about sports. Championship crown? double header? winning? I'm not a sports person so I filed it away until I was with Annie and we needed a quick spot for a drink. It was a mild night, one block away from my apartment, they had available candlelit tables outside, badda bing. I didn't walk inside to check the place out but my interest was held by their stellar dirty martini and the old fashioned champagne glass they served it in. Holds the liquor better and also a little relic from the past. And I love history.

The second time around I was with Mary, Kate and Zim. We walked over from DBGB, in through the front doors, proceeded through the main dining room, into a separate, smaller dining area which opened into the back lounge--our final destination. My jaw dropped. For someone who loves exploring cool, unique restaurants I can't understand how this one slipped through the cracks. First of all, the "Double Crown" refers to England and colonial India. The cocktail menu is loaded with British specialty drinks like Pimm's Cup and the bar menu is laced with Indian specialties like laksas, pork belly, and tandoori foie gras. This is definitely the first time I've ever seen India and England combined--and glad someone did it because the combination translates well. In terms of space, the walls are decorated with Taj Mahal like patterns in navy color schemes and the hanging light fixtures look like the ones you'd find in an Indian restaurant. There is also a statue of a Hindu (i'm guessing) god on the back wall lit up with reds and yellows and pinks. The chairs in the lounge were leather and wooden--perhaps a hint at British pub seats or Victorian parlor chairs? And there's a long communal table which makes for a jovial bar scene. Whoever decorated the interior pulled it off big time--they achieved true fusion.

We ordered a couple of appetizers which were as interesting and well-done as the place itself. Duck steamed buns, seared yellowtail sashimi and lentil-spiced poppadoms.

The steamed buns came with a hoisin dipping sauce and the yellowtail sashimi with a crispy lotus root (learned to like lotus root after I traveled to China), Chinese black bean, & lime vinaigrette. The poppadoms were like heavily seasoned, freshly fried potato chips. The sashimi was my favorite. They seared it perfectly so there was a little smoke to it but just enough that you could still taste the freshness of the fish with the lime vinaigrette.

Double Crown wears the crown for cool downtown bar/restaurant spots. They have outdoor seating (yes), 2 dining rooms that are adequate but not too big, a bar that accommadates plenty inside (yes), an awesome lounge in back (yes), Pimm's Cup (yes), and an eclectic menu that combines the best of both worlds.

Bowery and Bleecker