Little Ways — A Girl's Guide to Drinking Alone

*I had so much fun at Little Ways that I forgot to take my own photo so this one is from Eater*

343 W Broadway btw Grand and Broome Sts, SoHo

The Place: A 70s-style bar and restaurant that, for me, is like a little service-industry hideaway in glitzy SoHo.

The Time: Tuesday May 3, 7:15pm. I had some time to kill in SoHo and an appetite so I found myself a spot with cocktails and food that wouldn’t rob me blind.

The Vibe: I have to wrench open a sliding door to get into the restaurant which feels *wild.* There’s no bar downstairs to sit at so I climb a pretty steep tiled staircase to the upstairs bar. It immediately has a retro feel, with velvet and wicker and terrazzo everywhere, and seems to be designed like a living room straight out of 1970s suburbia. There are only a few bar stools so I snag one between a solo guy eating a burger and two ladies drinking spritzes. The music is chill, the back bar is gorgeous and I’m settling in with my book to have a nice time by myself.

The Bartender: Well the second I sit down, I realize I know her. “Hey, do you also work at the Flower Shop?” (Which is a bar on the Lower East Side, not a florist.) Leah and I met one night about a month ago when two friends and I wandered into Flower Shop while waiting to get into Attaboy (spoiler alert: we didn’t get in but had a great time with Leah instead). She tells me Little Ways is under the same ownership as the Flower Shop so she works at both spots. Leah and the server, Maralina, are bitching about the classic SoHo crowds and the guy to my left is in on the conversation, and then of course, I get in on it too since I bartended in the Meatpacking District for a while and they’re essentially the same demographic. The guy’s name is Nick, he’s also a bartender and works with Maralina at another bar. Turns out all four of us are from New York and needless to say, I don’t open my book once.

The Drank: I first order a cocktail from the menu, the Little Dragon. It has tarragon gin, aloe, Lillet, lemon and Prosecco. It’s light, refreshing, springy. I also order the cauliflower steak for dinner, which is a really delicious vegetarian main course and that’s surprisingly hard to find. My next drink is a Negroni, because Nick is drinking Negronis and I’m easily persuaded. Then I get a Sbagliato, essentially a Negroni with Prosecco instead of gin because that feels like a “responsible” choice. But when you're in the industry, bartenders you know always give you several little nips in between the drinks you actually order (thanks Leah!). Aaaand the longer I stay, the more I drink, the snackier I get, so I also get Brussels sprouts and then fries and everything rocks.

*Leah and Maralina told me it was a great bathroom for selfies and they weren’t wrong!*

Was I Hit On?: No, in fact, Nick and I spend a really long time talking about his late cat, Prince, and how all of his friends showed up for the funeral. (RIP, sweet boy.) I hang out with Nick and Leah and Maralina and kind of forget that I had gone out by myself. Tonight is a reminder of how much I fucking love this industry; we all speak the same language.

Should You Drink Alone Here?: Absolutely, I had a freaking blast. I know most people will not have the experience I did, but Little Ways is a fun, friendly hideaway amidst the typical lavish, pricey jaunts in SoHo. Maybe I had a bit too much fun considering how much I felt it in the morning but I’m already planning my return. Catch ya on the flip side, Little Ways!