A Guide to Recognizing Your Restaurants: Bar Milano vs. Milano’s Bar

Left, Bar Milano; right, Milano's Bar.Photo: Zach Desart, Lauren Klein Carton

In theory, it shouldn't be hard to tell Bar Milano from Milano's Bar. But, somehow, we know that visitors hoping to go to the new Lupa sequel from Jason Denton will eventually end up at the landmark Houston Street dive bar, so we present an easy-to-read side-by-side comparison, just to prevent any possible confusion.

	Bar Milano	Milano's Bar
The Menus	Elevated versions of classic Northern Italian cuisine.	Beer. Hard liquor. Pretzels (but they’ll cost you).
The Owners	Jason Denton, partner in Otto and Lupa.	David McWaters, who controls a slew of East Village bars, including Nice Guy Eddie’s and the Library.
The Space	Marble walls, suave upholstery, handblown Polish glassware.	A dark, narrow corridor plastered with photos of famously hard-drinking regulars of yore, as well as old baseball lineups.
The Crowd	Well-heeled foodies, Lupa loyalists, and bloggers.	Regulars and regulars-in-training.
What the Critics Said	Not reviewed yet, but given the place's pedigree, expectations are high.	“At least they have toilet paper,” gushes one Yelp user.
The Cost	$13 cocktails; entrées from $24 and up.	Everything’s about $5, unless it’s happy hour, in which case, $4.
The Drop-in	Crowded, but you can still manage — maybe.	Doors open at 8 a.m., if you need it.