10/03/07

Old-school charm amidst the boisterous Fifth Ave. crowds

by freebie_grabber

My uncle and I strolled Fifth Ave. on a late Friday afternoon, looking for a decent bar with at least ONE attractive woman inside... it was still fairly early, so the odds were against us. Finally, after passing up about a half-dozen spots, we saw The Bitter End, with its well-dressed doorman, hot hostess and cocktail waitress, brass railings and dark wood trim. How bad could it be? We went inside and were served up some vodka and tonics by a friendly guy. We watched a slew of music videos on their flat panels (Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, etc.) and people-watched for a few hours over our refills. We saw a bit of everything that the Gaslamp has to offer on a Friday night: skinny Asians in heels, military guys in their uniforms, overweight middle-aged white women, and cocky bedhead dudes. When my uncle's hot friend met up with us later, we headed upstairs to the "let's party while the parents are out of town" faux study, complete with dark wood paneling, well-stocked bookshelves, comfy leather couches, and a hot cocktail waitress from Virginia! All in all, a great spot to hang out.

• Pros: Gets pretty crowded as the night progresses
• Cons: Upscale decor, friendly and attentive staff

05/16/07

A bad frat party with a heavy price tag

by mrscott7

Don't go there expecting it to be like the one in San Francisco. I'm sure this is a decent bar when there is only about a dozen people which may occur on Sunday mornings.

But on the weekends :

Stay at groundlevel if you want to spend thirty minutes trying to get a drink only to have it all spilt on you because there is nowhere to escape people bumping into you.

Go downstairs if you like being crammed into a basement, with bad music and stupid people trying to dry bump you.

Go upstairs if you want to pay a ton of money to be at a bar for no reason other than to waste money.

• Pros: Classic bar ambience
• Cons: horrible basement and horribly crowded

03/11/07

Good, fun cocktail bar.

by thefoody

This is now my first stop whenever I visit the Gaslamp Quarter. The Bitter End is simply a cocktail bar that doesn't burden itself by trying to be a restaurant. Just good cocktails and some simple bar food. Great decore, EXCELLENT liquor menu with good pricing. Service was great. Enjoy.

• Pros: Great location. Good decore. Good liquor selection.