Bar Carrera   

175 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003
212-375-1555

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Most people in Spain, particularly in small villages, prefer to eat or drink out most evenings in bars and cafes instead of hanging out at home. New Yorkers, particularly downtowners, like to do the same, which is what makes this tapas bar such a perfect fit in the East Village. Formerly Monkey Royale, an espresso bar with a pinball machine, Bar Carrera is related to nearby Bar Veloce. This is a Spanish tapas bar, and to emphasize the casual come-and-go feeling, know going in that there are no tables or waiter service. Twenty-four seats at the intimate bar and a gentleman's rail is all you get to hang your hat on. The bite-size dishes, each bearing the exact same bite-size price, are culled from the Basque region; there're lots of combinations of fresh seafood and veggies on crispy breads with oils, like tuna, olives, artichokes, tomatoes, calamari and ham. Spanish white and red wines, sangria and sherry flow freely, as do the hip crowds, who either make this a primer before dinner elsewhere, or dinner itself.