Profile

Underbar has the right address (Park Avenue South), the right look (velvet booths, a mattress-like communal divan and sleek bathrooms) and the right pedigree (hotel bar scion Rande Gerber). But could it be that Gerber's long-standing formula is played out? The waitresses—er, "cast members"—merely look uncomfortable in their skimpy ultraminis and shiny boots, and the private, curtained nooks lining the walls tend only to inspire lame come-on lines. Cocktails are a whopping $12 to $16. Which is fine if you're expensing it, or if this is just one stop on the lower Park crawl. Otherwise, Underbar is likely to leave you feeling underwhelmed and overspent. — Jenifer Van Vleck

UnderBar's best feature is its encyclopedic retro indie-rock soundtrack—Elvis Costello and Murmur-era R.E.M. to Siouxsie and New Order.