La Birreria

La BirreriaLa Birreria
La BirreriaLa Birreria
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

200 5th Avenue
On The Roof Of Eataly
New York, New York, 10010
United States

(212) 937-8910 | map
eatalyny.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.73
Beers:
17
Ratings:
102
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.89
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
47
pDev:
13.37%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BeerForMuscle:
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Rated by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75

Aug 31, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of eluvah
Rated by eluvah from New York

4.14/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Great place to stop in NYC. Had a Focal Banger, and a house beer that was outstanding.
Dec 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by paulish from New York

Oct 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.78 by Nrod from Argentina

Jun 03, 2017
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Reviewed by SaisonRichBiere from Michigan

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 5
Amazing rooftop space above Eataly. Open air when the weather is nice, you can't go wrong. Beer selection is limited, dogfish-heavy. I did drink a house-brewed cask ale that paired nicely with the meat and cheese boards I ordered. Food is top notch, though I hear it will be changing seasonally- which should mean it's still top notch.
Apr 18, 2016
 
Rated: 4.21 by mafuellison from Northern Ireland

Feb 13, 2016
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Reviewed by NizzleEGizzle from New York

4.19/5  rDev +7.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
This is a great place to spend a summer afternoon when you're cutting work, or if you can get there before the crowd starts descending at 4PM. It's a cool space, although often crowded by people who are loud, rude, and entitled. The beer selection is cool and thoughtful, so you'll always see a diverse range of brews on tap.
Jan 13, 2016
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Reviewed by PEESHALEODEJANARO from New York

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Checked out this place back in July 2014 to celebrate my cousin passing the NY bar exam. The shops downstairs are crazy crowded and expensive but cool to check out once. The restaurant up on the roof is semi-exclusive. The elevator to get to the penthouse is hidden in the corner and you need to get on the list to even go up. Once you go up your reservation is confirmed again, but you hang at the bar and enjoy some cold pints. Lots of good tasting cask ales on tap made in collaboration with other brewers. We finally got a seat on a hot summer day and enjoyed all the food and pints we could. The 3 of us ran up a $200 something tab in a matter of 2 hours pretty easily. Well worth it though. I would recommend checking it out in the summer as it has good views and a good vibe.
Jan 07, 2016
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Reviewed by dgmirelli from New York

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
place was packed and busy during santacon weekend in NYC, had time to have a couple Grimm Artisinal Ales - Pulse Wave which was a great pale ale and very tasty. Would like to return when place was not as crowded and calmer, time to review bber menu and food.
Dec 13, 2015
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Reviewed by Lare453 from Florida

3.56/5  rDev -8.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3 | food: 3.75
This place is pretty cool being on the roof. The food was fair, nothing amazing. All dfh on draft and while I like dfh, I like to switch it up. The bartenders were not very friendly.
Aug 30, 2015
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Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
The place is awesome with a great view of the Empire State Building. Great atmosphere. It had very good food and a great selection of beers! When in NYC this is a great place to go to for a few beers!
Aug 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.09 by shoretaxi from New Jersey

Jul 15, 2015
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Reviewed by Jacobier10 from New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Awesome rooftop space that was packed on a Friday mid-afternoon. I still managed to snag a seat at the bar and ordered one of the three house cask ales, Vera, a witbier brewed with blood orange, coriander, and lavender. The beer was subpar, and at $10/pint it made it even more difficult to swallow. I ordered the Pancia di Maiale, a braised pork belly sandwich, as a snack. It was a snack indeed, as what was served to me was something that I could have easily eaten in four bites. Tasted great, but too tiny for $12. It did come with extra bread on the side and olive oil which helped fill my belly. Luckily, Allagash was there to save the day! Odyssey was served in a teku glass and to have this one on-tap was a real treat. A memorable beer experience for sure.

The quality of the food is top notch. However, be prepared to shell out some serious coinage. Everything here is pricy, but the great vibe of the outdoor rooftop seems to make the experience more enjoyable.
May 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by SimcoeKid from California

May 20, 2015
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Reviewed by Gajo74 from New York

4.16/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.25
I had been looking forward to coming to this brewpub for a long time. I came for happy hour. Good selection of brews, with dogfish head playing a prominent role. (Sam Calagione is a partner)
My only complaints: the bar area for happy hour is too small and crowded with millenials yakking away, screaming in your ear, and being unaware of the space they are taking up. The crowd made it difficult to get good service. Next time I come here, I would rather sit at the tables and eat. My other issue is that I was really looking forward to an amazing ny skyline view. Unfortunately, I only really saw part of the top of the flat iron building. I wish they would tear down the brick walls that are blocking what could be a spectacular view.
Apr 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by HugeBulge from New York

Nov 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Oakenator from Pennsylvania

Nov 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by lindsay0 from Maryland

Nov 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by GRG1313 from California

Oct 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by JKV96 from Massachusetts

Sep 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by SkiBum22 from New York

Sep 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Roze from New York

Jul 13, 2014
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Reviewed by bigkingken from North Carolina

3.54/5  rDev -9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3
A rooftop brewpub with walls like a greenhouse in downtown Manhattan? Yup, they’ve certainly got the location part down.

Not much beats this place in terms of atmosphere and restaurant location. On the first floor is this massive Italian supermarket that also has a half-dozen small counters to buy freshly made food to eat at one of the numerous tables scattered about. I’ve never seen anything like it. Then again, I’ve never been to New York City before.

The only problem is that Birreria is a little bit difficult to find. There’s an elevator tucked into the back of the massive space if you know where to look, and I didn’t, so it took several minutes of wandering. Maybe that’s just how they whet your appetite?

Once upstairs, the views are amazing, and the beer ain’t bad either. They focus on cask ales freshly made (I believe on location) to provide the best flavor possibly. On my visit they had three of their own casks on tap – a Christmas ale, a thyme pale ale, and a chestnut brown ale. I was on an empty stomach and only tried the latter two, but both were fantastic. I give kudos to not overdoing anything and letting subtle complexities rule the beverage.

While the menu looked tempting, I had my eyes set on another gourmet prize in town, so I did not partake. That will have to come another day.

My only criticism would be that the bar area isn’t big enough for the late afternoon work crowd. Much of the restaurant was empty while the seats at the bar and standing room was densely populated. I’m sure that ratio flips during dining hours, however, so that criticism doesn’t have much to stand on.
Apr 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by valianes from Canada (ON)

Mar 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by bckayaalp from New York

Feb 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by sirsteve42 from New York

Jan 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Jenray from Texas

Dec 28, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by qcbrewer from North Carolina

Nov 28, 2013
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Reviewed by Porter from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Good cask beer and bottle selection. If you are coming for a specific beer, call first.
A collaboration between Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione and the Bastianich family. The rooftop restaurant/bar is awesome in the summer.
I had the Ruby and Gina cask beers and some of the unique DFH taps.
Oct 28, 2013
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Reviewed by Buller38 from Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.5
La Birreria, ask the servers how to pronounce La Birreria.

This place may have a limited selection on tap, but when it's fresh you won't be disappointed with the cask brews available. Your best bet is to gander over the bottle list, which can be pricey, but you are sure to find something nice to split between a few friends.

The food is excellent, I love eating here but the only issue is the price. If I'm a little low on funds, this place is definitely out of my price range if I want a few beers and a nice dinner.

The atmosphere is amazing, imagine having a near 360 degree view of the manhattan skyline that surrounds he rooftop. You can see the empire state building as well as many other structures that are nice on the eye.

My favorite part about this place is that Sam Calagione visits from time to time to host a beer dinner or a beer and food pairing event. It just so happens, the last one I was at he was seated next to me for the dinner. I can tell you this about Sam, he's a cool guy who loves to talk beer and he really wants to know who he is serving beer to.

Overall, one of my favorite midtown places to visit.
Oct 28, 2013
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Reviewed by deleted_user_373835

4.11/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
The place is on the roof at Eataly.
We had reservation and were seated promptly.
Great table with a fan above us on a sunny hot day.
Beer selection is outstanding but very pricey. Allagash 750ml bottles were $28 but outstanding.
They have many Italian beers and some of the Dogfish lineup.
It was too bad that the food was average at best. We were four and I would say one of us had an entrée that was very good while the other 3 had ok. I'm sure they could put a Kobe burger on the menu for $20 and sell tons of them as the menu is otherwise lacking.
But I really enjoyed the place for the upbeat atmosphere and the extensive selection of excellent beer. I drove into NYC that day from Jersey so took it easy and sipped a fine beer and it was a perfect afternoon.
Would definitely go back.
Jun 12, 2013
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Reviewed by dbrauneis from North Carolina

4.29/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.75
I really enjoyed this place - it was a great place to go for dinner and beer even on a very cold evening in April. The glass roof was closed but there was still a great view of the night sky and some of the close by building through it. There is also a great view of the top of the Empire State Building through the windows by the restrooms. The decor is quite pleasant and there is a slightly exciting buzz about the place.

Beers were well poured, served at proper temperature, and in proper glassware. Beers seemed very fresh and I definitely think they were high quality.

Both the service at the bar and once we had a table for very professional and courteous. Food and drinks were delivered quickly. I would recommend making reservations if you want to eat here on a weekend or are impatient (especially when the weather is really nice).

This place actually had a very nice beer listing including casks, taps, and bottles featuring a lot of very nice Italian beers as well as some NY locals and other American craft beers. Probably about 35 beers to choose from but they are not the same beers you find at most of the other places in the city.

The food was really enjoyable - I highly recommend the beer and apricot braised pork shoulder as it was very crispy on the outside and melt in your mouth (like a pork belly) on the inside.

Prices are a little high at this place but the food and beers are top notch and you are somewhat paying for the experience.
Apr 05, 2013
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Reviewed by Ethanol4one from New York

4.94/5  rDev +27%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 5
This location is outstanding and extraordinary, with recipes by Dogfish Head. Every cask beer I had was grand and glorious. If anyone is rating it as some average spot for craft beer in nyc, I'd strongly disagree.

The cask beers were subtle, flavorful, unique and interesting in the good way, like peanuts and chocolate. These beers seem to be geared for pairings with the outstanding meats, cheeses, salads and sea food available there.
Mar 28, 2013
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Reviewed by dauss from Colorado

2.9/5  rDev -25.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3
I happened to be by Eataly and decided to stop by the Birreria. I had read that the house beers were $10 a pint. They weren't $10/pint, it was $10 for beer in a shaker pint glass. House beers were served from a beer engine and with a dense head. I ended up getting the Wanda, a English mild made with chestnuts. My friend had the pale ale with thyme. The beers were fine, but $5 fine. Considering how much they claim to pay attention to quality, I wish the beer was served in better glassware.

As far as the other selections, a few locals, but most of the beers are from Beerifico Baladin. Some interesting saisons with wild yeast, saisons with grape must, as well as some local NY brewery beers. Guest drafts were between $7-$9 for a 12oz. pour when I was there.

It was in the middle of December, so it was quite cold outside, but it was covered in the winter. It was quite warm and the place was quite lively. Although there were 5 bartenders behind the bar, they weren't very attentive. Didn't try the food.
Dec 21, 2012
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Reviewed by ghostly from New York

2.68/5  rDev -31.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 1.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 5
I don't usually review but I thought this one was worth talking about, a year after opening. The quality of the house-brewed cask beers is low. Amateurish, even. Everything is packed with a gimmicky food product (the three on cask when I got there were a thyme pale ale that honestly just makes the thyme mask the hop aroma, what they call a chestnut mild but tastes more like a bad porter, and a DFH ancient ale with gentian and myrrh that was practically undrinkable and resembled bad, flat, sweet, fruity, medicinal homebrew. These were $10 apiece, and consider that they don't have to pay a distributor.) As for the non-house selection, it's quite good, although most are 750s in the $20 range, so prepare to share. They had carafes of Freshchester Pale and Moretti. The view is of the top of the flatiron building and the empire state, which is fairly cool, but this is a walled room with skylights, not a "rooftop". The "teku" glasses others refer to - high end glassware - have been eliminated. The wine is actually pretty good, and the food is even better. Our server outwardly made fun of one of our party for asking where the lamb came from...despite the menu being nothing but descriptions of where everything else is from (down to "Delaware honey" in that myrrh abomination.)
Jun 28, 2012
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Reviewed by slander from New York

4.7/5  rDev +20.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
Slander, who pushed through the market of crazy and came out clean the other side. Elevator, operator, me to the 14th and then a flight of stairs to the 15th floor; I feel like there should be clues along the way or I should be gobbling up fruit for bonus points or something. The reception desk and the brewings behind glass, and out, but in; the rooftop enclosed...

A white marble topped bar runs a length off to the left with seating for 18ish on non-backed Randy stools. Cask box of 3 on the bar and a 10 tap tower a few feet down. 8 short barrels on their sides holding wine selections tapped on the barback split 4 & 4, with slight tiered boozings in between. Glassware tucked in there, too, and shelved below and tucked barside, with stemmed stuff hanging above. Awning piece over the bar with mounted spots, and through the slight windows atop the barback, you can see the top of the Empire State Building in all her awesomeness.

Out on the floor, there are about 5 dozen 2 seat paper placematted tables in rows, many solo and pushed together in pairs and pairs of pairs, and ½ a dozen or so larger round tables here or there. Shared benchings along the perimeter, and I see a sea of red metal chairs. Large sign letter BIRRERIA on the building side, with their 3 collaborator (Baladin, Del Borgo and DogFishHead) logos below. Lino wood looking floorings, and glass walls and roof top; some of which retract somewhat. The rear windows slide open and the rooftop, too; starting with the center panel pushed with a long pole. Hot air for a cool breeze, traded.

Phil’s BBQ at 2, I am afforded some time for a few beers and am underway sampling before Sunday sales noon. 3 house cask beers on at a time. I’ve had at all of ‘em. ‘Gina’ (Thyme Pale Ale, fantastic, amazingly quaffable, a good thyme beer), ‘Ruby’ (American Wheat with dried fig & mustard seed, very nice), and a beer called ‘Wanda’ (Chestnut Mild, good roasted nuttiness). On return visits, I’ve also had ‘Nigella’ (a highly drinkable session IPA, excellent), ‘Barista’ (Robust Porter with Guatemalan coffee, tasty), and ‘Pina’ (Brown Ale with pine nuts and honey, does not suck). Their beers are really quite good. I don’t know about $10 a pint good, but they are well done. ABV’s ranging as low as 3.5% (Nigella) and as high as 7% (Barista).

In addition to the house cask beers, they’ve got 10 drafts; a good mix of regional American craft and import fun with offerings from all 3 collaborators. Across my visits, I’ve drank the Baladin Isaac (holy fucking coriander!), and the Grado Plato Strada San Felice (roasted chestnut lager, excellent), and have sampled the Del Borgo Genziana (a saison with Gentian root, really nice), the L’Olmaia Karkade (spring Ale with hibiscus, sour but not unpleasantly so), and the Loverbeer Madamin (Italian Flanders style sour brown seemingly more full on sour than an Oud Bruin). And nearly 30 bottled selection; 1/3 of them from the house collaborators, and the remaining 2/3 a mix of 2 to 1 American craft to import ratio, plus nearly a dozen wines.

We split the meat plate for 2 ($21), the winners being Cacciatorini (spicy), and Sopressata (garlic & black peppercorn goodness), and we ordered up 3 cheeses ($11), Asiago Fresco (winner), Robiola Bosina (solid), & Provolone Madarone (did not suck); all cow with a little sheep. It came served with a hazelnut & honey accompaniment of awesome. And lest we not forget the broccoli rabe ($5), which was goddamn great, just amazing garlic love there.

My subsequent revisits have been all about the pork shoulder (beer & apricot braised, served with a celery, cucumber, and persimmon slaw of sorts, and a mustard vinaigrette) for a mere $19. One of the most amazing foodings of my life. This pork shoulder literally melts; I could eat it with a spoon. I had to sit back and ‘holy shit’ for a moment there. Just stellar. Was dealt 3 slices of homemade spent grain bread with a small plate of olive oil. Menu absent is the broccoli rabe; as such I am forced to slum it with the carrots (baby ones, all honeyed up). They were solid, but I feel robbed of the rabe this day.

Brucetender again; he let me try a few things, has good opinions on what’s what, and just knows his game. Great food and drink here. Pricey, but just don’t care and then don’t. It’s Sunday, and I’ve got a warm happiness rolling over me, a pretty good day this be. The drink is a sizable contributor to be sure and I’m still trippin’ from that pork shoulder. Nice breeze and good tunes rooftop today, Lots of tourists, of course, but I do like. Just 2 hours in, the place is 2/3 full, tablewise. So know that the game here is to be on their doorstep at Sunday opening, get your snack and drink on, and get out before it fills in around you, which it will.
Apr 10, 2012
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Reviewed by Billolick from New York

3.93/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Love the space, loved the food, beer they brew is ehh, guest bottles and taps are nice but expensive.

Nice place to take folks from out of town, cuz the room is bright, airy, pleasant and impressive. Went when it was quiet, midweek for lunch at the bar, so no crowds, and no stress, can imagine prime times would get kinda hectic.

Enjoyed some anti pasta and a tasty sandwedge, along with a few of thier house brewed drafts.
Very pleasant at the bar.

Not a place I would visit on a regular basis, but nice to visit to see fine food and fine beer being intermingled, enjoyed and mostly respected.
Mar 17, 2012
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Reviewed by RichThatchr from Florida

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5
Here it is in the middle of January and I'm on a Manhattan roof top drinking brown cask ales with juicy lamb sandwiches. Covered by frosted glass awnings and heated by propane fired lamps, I normally would have not believed it was possible to put a brewery on a roof top. I could see this being great place for a date and/or a few beers with friends in the late Spring and Summer.

La Birreria captures the spirit of doing something different with imagination in NYC and deserves the attention of every beer geek to see this venue. It's not a temple to beer, nor does it have every bourbon barrel aged nuanced ale made by the latest brewers who Tweet every turn in the mash tun. Paired with exceptional kitchens below it, this outdoor place has broader appeal that needs to be experienced and not just reviewed.

For the beer, I saw a very tall bottle list with plenty of Dogfish Head things on it, but I wasn't drawn to it like I was with the casks that stood out on the edge of the bar. Having sampled the delightful brown ale and the funky thyme spiced wheat ale, I was convinced this place has the capacity to make great beers into the future.
Jan 11, 2012
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Reviewed by CHickman from New York

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5
I’ve been to La Birreria several times now for both lunch and after work drinks and can state that I like the place, but would be hesitant to go if it were not being covered by an expense account; this place is crazy expensive, and while the food and beer are all of excellent quality, I don’t think that the proprietors are justified to over charge patrons that much for beer. The food, while excellent, is also very steep in price to me and I have been working in NYC for over 15 years, but this is NYC so anything goes and people will pay for it.

The atmosphere is a mix of a tourist trap, a cool rooftop concept brewpub, European gathering space and a mob scene. It has everything that I love and hate about NYC rolled into one establishment: it can be crowded with long lines, people taking pictures, expensive food and drinks, tight bar space at night, it’s very loud when it’s packed and it can be an overwhelming scene; on the flip side, navigating through Eataly is a cool NYC experience with tons of people, tons of noise, tons of smells and a feel like you’re in the middle of the greatest city on Earth – and that’s all before you go up the elevator to La Birreria when you walk up the stairs after exiting the elevator and see the mini brewery, which is sparkling clean and impressive to look at. Day or night there are very cool NYC views and the vibe has always seemed hip and cool, like being on this rooftop is the place to be; overall I like the atmosphere, which is why I keep going back. Also, the retractable roof is a very cool aspect of this place and should make for enjoyable winter drinking.

The quality of the food is excellent, and most of the beers have been of very high quality as well. I have tried 4 cask ales and some were hits and others misses, but I could tell they were made with quality ingredients and were good experiments. The bread, cheese platters, olives and sausages have all been extremely tasty, with an emphasis on the sausages which are outstanding; the Cotechino and the Probusto are excellent dishes to share and wash down with beer.

The service has gotten much better since it opened, and each time I go back it seems to improve. The waiters know enough about beer to be helpful, and even the confused looking busboy types seem helpful as they clean up and fetch more bread and olive oil whenever eating there. There are two bartenders who seem to be beer experts, and once you cut through their BS attitudes and let them know that you are serious about beer then that’s when they offer great advice and samples. They are pretty quick even during peak after work hours, so they know how to earn a tip.

The selection of beer, wine and food are excellent; the bar selection is OK, but who the hell comes to this place not to have beer or wine? The beer selection is always impressive and they have just enough on tap to balance out the house brews and bottle selection. Last week they had some Troegs, Victory and Sierra Nevada on tap in addition to the standard Dogfish Head offerings, and Italian beer and some local NY brewery offerings. The bottle list has a lot of quality beers from Baladin, DogFish Head and other hard to find Italian beers, so I think it’s a very cool variety.

Overall the value was OK for NYC, but still a bit pricy to me. Some of the bottled beer is very overpriced, like the DogFish Head My Antonia for $18 per bottle. I completely understand that the rent must be insane, but the bottled beer prices are a tad over the top for anyone who knows craft beer pricing. The house brews (cask ales) are expensive at $10 per glass, but since they make the beer right there then to me that is justified and the essence of the place and experience. I really like the place and look forward to going there on day when it snows to have a beer in the crisp air looking at the Empire State Building. Definitely check this place out. Unless you’re looking to go broke this would not be a regular spot to be a barfly, but it is a cool NYC experience right across from the landmark Flatiron Building.
Oct 28, 2011
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Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
La Birreria! The newest beer spot New Yorkers love to hate... :-)

I decided to check it out on a sunny hot August day. At around 2:30pm there was no wait. It is a bit difficult to get to, what with the elevator, stairs, hallways and general maze.

Loved the music, but the place looks like a cheap patio at a dive bar in Florida. Crowd was mostly European tourists, and some well-dressed locals, pretty girls and guys in suits. No beer nerds in sight.

WAY HOT! And no views whatsoever except for a tiny slice of the Empire State from the bar. The marble bar was so hot you could warm up your coffee on it. Even the servers were sweating. Enough said!

Selection: ONE house brew (Sofia, with peppercorns), one Dogfish cask (Eataly pale ale) and ten drafts, including Dogfish 120 and Raison d'Etre, Southern Tier Hop Sun, Moretti and Life&Limb. They also have wine on tap, FYI.

My Eataly Pale Ale was fine, drinkable, a hint of spice, tad boring but good for the weather. Not too casky. Had a "teku" (12 ounces) of Life&Limb, 20 cl of beer and the rest was head (bartender said that is the way they do it because it is high gravity).

Didn't try the food but would like to next time. Service was fine at the bar. Overall, I had mixed feelings about the place. Love the selection and service and music, didn't like the settings and the silly heat and the prices and the hassle to get up there.

Had the chance to chat with one of the owners and that was a nice touch. He explained how the costs of brewing on a rooftop adds up, hence the $10 tag for a pint, and also said that they are not a beer garden but a brewery on a rooftop, which makes sense to me.

Not a destination (avoid at peak times), but sure worth a visit or two, and definitely much better than the poor reviews here might have you think. I'm looking forward to the new house-brewed ales.

Note: On my most recent visit (Summer 2012) had a great Birreria Giuseppina, a "Golden IPA" brewed with decocted rigatoni and Belgian yeast strains.
Sep 15, 2011
La Birreria in New York, NY
Brewery rating: 3.73 out of 5 with 102 ratings