Crescent & Vine

 

I've been coming here for about a year, and it's far and away my favorite beer bar in west Queens / Astoria.

It's usually quiet when I'm there, with a cadre of couples at one of the low tables along with some folks at the bar who are typically very sociable and up to discuss the tap list. The staff is knowledgeable, and the beverage director is an outstanding wealth if information about beer, breweries, and beer culture. It has more of a wine bar feel than a dive or something, but it's casual, not pretentious.

The beer list is varied, with a strong showing of fine, rare, and unusual beers. No bar in the area reliably has a sour, several imperials, some brewery fresh kegs, nitro IPAs, European imports, and vintage selections the way Crescent and Vine always does.

I don't know enough about wine to know if that menu is as strong as the beer. The food is a tremendous value. I always go with a meat and cheese plate, where I can mix and match from a rotating list of 20 or so meats and cheeses. Portions are big, and the staff is interested in helping choose appropriate pairings or groupings. Lots of fresh toast with the plates, too.

Who would have thunk it, a boutique beer spot in Astoria Queens...smaller, dark and romantic. This place started as more of a wine bar and has been improving it beer selections. What they offer now is 12 very interesting taps options and another dozen or so in bottles.

Up to date selections that are available can be found here:
http://www.beermenus.com/places/2775-crescent-and-vine

For food, its cheese/meet plates, pressed sandwedges and a few salads. Upscale, interesting and tasty bites readily available, though no time for me on this visit.

Down to earth, friendly athmosphere, knowledgable fellow behind the bar, a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Highly recommended

I stopped by last night with a few friends after getting wurst and beer at the Bohemian Beer Gardens. I didn't know there were great beer bars like this around Ditmars. I mean, yeah it's more of a wine bar, but the 10 craft taps, exposed brick and tin ceiling makes for a great place to drink tasty brew. It didn't hurt that after we sat down the waiter brought over a plate of black olives.

The prices were generally reasonable for NYC. My table ordered a round of cask Lagunitas Censored Ale at $6/12 oz glass. Most beers were $6-7 with options that icluded Chimay, Delirium Tremens, Stone, Lagunitas and Smuttynose.

This place is a hidden little gem way out at the end of the N line in Queens. It's a wine bar, but you wouldn't know it from their amazing beer selection. They've got 10 draft lines and there's not a clunker in the bunch. I was recently there with some friends and everything was fresh and at the perfect temperature. They really take care of their lines, which is important to me. That alone can make or break a bar in my book.

The staff is wonderful and very knowledgeable. More importantly, they really make you feel at home. And they make a stellar meat and cheese plate!

The atmosphere is very nice. It's a cozy place, with a pressed tin ceiling and a mellow, intimate vibe. That's due in part to the great jazz that's always being played.

All in all, this is a fantastic spot to grab some nibbles and a brew in a neighborhood that is finally starting to get the attention it deserves.