Profile

Named after the 180-million-gallon aqueous repository that occupied the grounds of today's New York Public Library and Bryant Park during the 19th century, the Croton Reservoir Tavern offers stately décor (leather chairs and banquettes, tented napkins, exposed brick), serious quaffs, and dining. The main attraction is its fifty-foot-long oak bar with a dozen beers on tap. Backed by a mirrored wall stacked to the hilt with gleaming bottles of hootch, the bar attracts an after-work Garment Center crowd more intent on downing kamikaze shots and reveling in the hard rock soundtrack than appreciating the establishment's historical references. The kitchen goes far beyond pub grub in its ambitions, though it sometimes goes awry with seasonings. Among starters, shrimp al ajillo proffers tender crustaceans in a bath of sautéed garlic in oil. The lemon-daubed grilled loin of pork is moist and crowns a bed of firm spinach, but the Pecorino Romano risotto side is overly salty. Ruby red yellowfin tuna, nicely seared in a sesame seed crust, is served like sashimi atop hearty black rice—but the accompanying soy-braised shiitake mushrooms are a saline affair. As a result, many people opt to eat at the bar, with burgers a popular option. — Michael Anstendig

Pre-theater dinner runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Happy hour takes place Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with flavored martinis and margaritas, cheap domestic beers, and discounted appetizers.

Shrimp al ajillo, $14