Bibliotheque — A Girl's Guide to Drinking Alone

54 Mercer st btw broome and grand sts, soho

The Place: A bookstore and cafe by day, a wine bar and restaurant by night, designed for people who love both books and drinking. So…me, essentially.

The Time: Friday October 2, 5:15pm. I’m in SoHo buying my boyfriend a birthday present (he’s been talking about a “fashionable baseball cap” for about a week now so I took matters into my own hands) and figured I’d grab a drink on my way home. I’d read about Bibliotheque somewhere and just had in my notes “book bar!” I’m loving this new genre of bar that’s popping up throughout the city, it’s really made for me.

The Vibe: There are two distinct areas: the front section feels like a classic cafe/wine bar set up, with high top tables, counters by the window, a bar that has both an espresso machine and bottles of wine lined up. I wait to chat with someone who tells me I’m free to grab a seat at the bar, and that the back room is now for dinner service, but since it’s their bookstore, I can take a look around. It’s gorgeous back there, a huge room filled with books seemingly from floor to ceiling, big comfy couches and chairs, dramatic lighting. It feels like the library of a very rich, very well-read person. After a brief wander, I settle into a spot back up front at the bar. It’s two completely different vibes: the back feels hushed and reverent, probably because there’s only one occupied table right now, while the front is lively and boisterous, with post-work happy hour groups and friends meeting for a drink. There seem to be several people flying solo with their books as well. I’m sitting next to a woman who I quickly determine also works here. A coworker makes a Friends reference, then, when he’s met with silence, asks if she knows the show Friends. Her response is: “I know OF Friends,” which is perhaps the clearest marker of a generational divide I’ve ever heard.

The Bartender: I always think it’s a good sign when employees want to hang out at their workplace off the clock, and the staff is obviously having a great time. They’re joyful and at times, more uproarious than the guests. A lot of people are working tonight (it’s a Friday, after all) but I spend most of my time chatting with Elise, who is lovely and personable and affirms all of my choices. I spy a man at the end of the bar who looks like he brought his own reading light, and just when I’m thinking about how clever that man must be, another bartender sees that I’m reading and offers me my very own reading light!! This is by far the best service note, especially at a book bar. What a genius way to make the lighting feel proper for a bar without sacrificing part of their ethos. I’m floored, and can now actually read The House of the Spirits without squinting.

*A glass of Riesling and The House of the Spirits*

The Drank: Solely wine and beer, with zero-proof options and a few wine-based cocktail choices. If you know me at all, you know I can’t resist an Alsatian Riesling. It’s delicious, as always, and seemingly well-priced (by SoHo standards, at least) at $16. Elise tells me about the “Bookmarks Wine Flight” which pairs three 3oz pours with three different author excerpts. I am absolutely obsessed with this idea, especially as someone who designs cocktails based around literature every month (come to Tables of Contents!). Alas it’s just too much wine for me before dinner. After a fly lands in my glass, Elise pours me a fresh one, and now that I have more wine in front of me than I anticipated, I also get the snack board of olives, chips, and housemade corn nuts. It’s the kind of snack tray that I firmly believe should be free in the States like it is at most bars literally anywhere else in the world, but you know what? We can’t always stand by our principles.

Was I Hit On?: Not one bit, but I effectively hit on the wine list. Hear me out: I overhear Elise giving the wine list to someone else, and says that it’s organized by literary genre. WHAT!? I ask to look at it, then spend a good half hour just reading it, absolutely mesmerized. The “chapter” on Stanzas is a list of half-bottles, Romance is for easy-drinking wines, Young Adult is all young wines under $80, the Mystery chapter just says “coming soon…” I am tickled and delighted and let Elise know I will be telling all my friends (i.e. writing a blog post) about this.

Should You Drink Here Alone?: YES! My god, if you are also a person who loves wine and books, get over to Bibliotheque. It seems like it would be a lovely place to work in the middle of the day with a cappuccino, then you can settle in with a novel and a glass of wine in the evening. Get your drink on, book nerds.