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Past a doorman and a velvet rope, and down a dark flight of stairs, this self-described meatpacking district “dive bar” commits all the familiar offenses that can happen when corporate tries to co-opt punk. Faux graffiti, artificial tags, and quirky stickers line the walls, achieving an ersatz fabrication of the L.E.S’s former grit. (Picture Mars Bar re-imagined for an episode of Gossip Girl.) The overall effect is as sterile as the in-house tattoo parlor (hopefully). And while Sid Vicious is, no doubt, rolling in his grave, the decidedly European crowd seems utterly pleased with the result. Maybe it’s because they wanted a taste of the seedier side of NYC nightlife during the eighties and found it: Barmen twirling liquor bottles à la Tom Cruise in Cocktail and Pet Shop Boys remixed on the sound system. Although, the bottle service suggestion at most tables and fifteen-buck drinks could prove to be a shock back to the present. — Patrick Siggins

For table reservations email RSVP@gunbarnyc.com.