The Word: Prohibition

A great place on the Upper West Side at 503 Columbus Avenue . NYC 10024 . 212.579.3100.


You've heard it here before: this is a very inviting and comfortable locale, i.e. Prohibition, where every night of the week something is going on. When the music isn't live in the early evening, the speakers give forth with recognizable oldies that keep the customers at their tables and at the bar. The staff friendly and accomodating, most notably Christian, Tristan, Eva, Jennifer, Desiree, Adi, Annie, Natalie, Kristen. Management knows how to hire good people, really good people.

In warm weather there is outside seating. The key word is comfort and it seems that the two working owner/partners Rich and Ian do their best to make it so.

The menu also serves up comfort food, such as fried calamari, chicken fingers, tuna tacos, wild mushroom ravioli, vegetable dumplings, mini-burgers, mini-pizzas and quesadillas that can be enjoyed at the bar and at tables. There is a full menu that can be perused at their website www.prohibition.net

From the New York Times: "The Music Cooks and the Food Sings: But I already know from my neighborhood that a chef and a belter can peacefully coexist. Prohibition, on Columbus Avenue, has live performances every night but food so consistently fresh that I go there just to eat, before the young crowd throngs the dark room and the bands take the stage. It’s the right menu for a certain mood, when you want little plates with lots of flavor (Portobello napoleons, duck nachos and jazzy pizzas) and not much commitment or cash required."

From New York Magazine: "Prohibition typifies the Upper West Side bar scene. It's spacious and funky but not overly hip. It's popular but rarely packed. The waitstaff is young, beautiful andunpretentious. The cool décor features lamps made out of out of skinny lightbulbs suspended in wine bottles. In the front bar area, live bands perform on a tiny stage: Every night features a different musical act, from groovy funk to jazz. If you'd rather focus on your date (or your martini—try one of the many house-made varieties), head to the back room, where you can also dine on surprisingly good New American cuisine."—Shana Liebman

It's an open, warm, down to earth and welcoming locale in a great neighbourhood. Addiction sets in quickly. It's a perfect place to be held hostage by really nice people.




Main Entry: 1wel·come
Pronunciation: \ˈwel-kəm\
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): wel·comed; wel·com·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English welcumian, wylcumian, from wilcuma, noun
Date: before 12th century
1 : to greet hospitably and with courtesy or cordiality
2 : to accept with pleasure the occurrence or presence of
— wel·com·er noun