The Wren - Wine & Spirits Magazine

The Wren


Restraint isn’t a word that comes up much when it comes to NYC bars. But it fits The Wren, a new East Village pub that exudes delightful simplicity. Where most serious cocktail bars offer seven sections of drinks, The Wren sticks to just seven cocktails, all mixed to perfection. Make sure to try the Gamble, a tart and refreshing blend of gin, lime soda and cranberry-tangerine marmalade. And though you may not like to admit it, the Grown-Up Rum & Coke is dangerously addictive, swapping out Coke for bitter-edged, caffeine-free chinotto soda and adding a squeeze of a lemon and a cardamom-infused amaro. The Wren also happens to put out some of the most delectable pub grub in the city. Like the drinks menu, the choices are limited, but expertly executed. Whether you’re drawn to the duck and prune terrine or the jar of rich, gamey oxtail marmalade, you’ll forget you are sitting on a barstool the second you take a bite.


This review appears in the print edition of the April 2012 issue.
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This story appears in the print issue of April 2012.
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