Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Each month, My Upper West chooses an Upper West Side business as Pick of the Month.  These businesses are part of what makes our neighborhood great, and we highly recommend checking them out if you haven’t yet had the chance.  This month’s pick is Pier i Café, the outdoor bar and grill in Riverside Park South at 70th Street.  Click through to read more about Pier i Café.

While many in the city are aware of its outdoor neighbor a few blocks up, the 79th Street Boat Basin Café, the Pier i Café has maintained a lower profile in its three or so years of business, attracting a crowd of mainly Upper West Siders looking to enjoy some tasty food and refreshing cocktails on nice-weather days.  The casual, open-air café, sitting next to Pier i, overlooking the Hudson River and the New Jersey skyline from its patio tables, is one of the few places in Manhattan that truly feels like an escape from the city to a backyard barbecue.  Bring your friends, some reading material, or even your pooch to grab a table, then hit the food and drink counter, not having to worry about slow servers or power-tripping maitre d’s.  The food menu offers choices from hot dogs, burgers, and french fries to goat cheese and arugula salads, grilled salmon, and the delicious sweet corn on the cob with paprika parsley butter, and the cocktail menu includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks like blueberry lemonade, sangria pitchers, and, of course, cold beer.  Enjoy your meal in a surprisingly gorgeous atmosphere… while the café is technically located smack-dab under the West Side Highway, it always seems to feel peaceful and relaxed, offering breathtaking over-the-river sunset views.

Pier i Café is open during warm-weather months (their website states an annual opening date of early May, but the café has actually been open on warm days for a few weeks now).  Generally, you can order food and drinks from lunchtime (11:00 am or 12:00 pm) to late night (11:00 pm or 12:30 am).   Now that summer is nearing, enjoy the outdoors with this great Upper West Side gem, but (as a personal request) don’t tell too many people about it… we want this great little bar and grill can stay a local secret!  Read more about the Pier i Café on its website.

Filed under: Food & Drink, Upper West Side, Upper West Side Blog No Comments »
Tags: Grill, Outdoor Cafe, Pier i Cafe