Bar Sardine Is Permanently Closing At The End Of The Month

Weirdly enough, I'd spent more time at Bar Sardine in the weeks, and even days, before quarantine than I had in the past seven years since it opened, originally as Chez Sardine, in 2013 - coincidentally around the same time I snagged an internship here at Guest of a Guest and started working from our West Village office just blocks away. I don't know why I was suddenly drawn to this tiny, vaguely Parisian spot for after-work rosé and the best off-the-menu espresso martinis this side of Australia, but I'm glad I was. During my last visit, a friend and I sat at the bar and each ate their signature Fedora Burger by candlelight. Outside, I joked with a guy on Hinge about hanging out before coronavirus came to town. Oh, what fools we were.

I never hung out with that guy, and I haven't been back to Bar Sardine since holing up here in Brooklyn, but I just might have to take a trip into the city for one last burger - and to say goodbye. 

On Monday, owner Gabriel Stulman announced via Instagram that the cozy West Village watering hole would be closing up shop for good. I'm totally not not crying while writing this. I mean, my current extremely hot Instagram profile pic was taken there! This place has history!

"It deeply saddens me to share the news that at the end of this month we will be permanently closing [Bar Sardine]," reads his Instagram caption breaking the terrible news. "After months of trying to find an arrangement with our lease that would allow us to survive as a business under the current conditions we operate," it continues, "we couldn’t find a lease arrangement that would work."

The good news - if you can even call it that - is that Bar Sardine will remain open for outdoor service through the end of the month. So if you've been waiting for an occasion to finally meet up with your virtual beau for a socially-distant dinner, I'd urge you to take advantage of one last date at this ultimate date-night spot before it's gone forever. Tragic.

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View this post on Instagram

friends and family. It deeply saddens me to share the news that at the end of this month we will be permanently closing @barsardinenyc // after months of trying to find an arrangement with our lease that would allow us to survive as a business under the current conditions we operate - alas we couldn’t find a lease arrangement that would work. From the izakaya days of Chez Sardine to the gastropub days of Bar Sardine it has been an amazing journey. I love every step of the way and I am so grateful for the years, the memories, the colleagues and the neighbors. We will remain open until the end of the month. We’d love to raise one more glass and have one more burger with you. We’re gonna go out with high fives and smiles. Here are some photos over the years. Thank you. We love you. #happycooking
A post shared by Gabriel Stulman (@gabestulman) on Aug 10, 2020 at 12:52pm PDT