MOSAEC Clubs, Bars & Restaurants-Beer Hall

Tapped Out!
By Kevin Shay

I don't have any evidence to back me up, and I understand it was a sushi bar immediately before it became Beer Hall, but I'm convinced this location was originally a mausoleum. Which is not a bad thing. The space is cavernous, undivided, and windowless, and feels wholly removed from the outside world (forget using your cell phone in this bunker). You emerge slightly disoriented, and not just because they sell their several draft beers by the (affordable) pitcher. Wine and a nice selection of bottled beer are also available.

On any given night, you're likely to hear some flavor of international dance music accompanied by suitable footage on a large video screen, but the attempted clubbiness can seem at odds with the space, whose capacity and comfortable seating might be better served by a low-key atmosphere more conducive to conversation and the Viking level of beer consumption the Gothic slogan on the wall would seem to encourage. A full bar would also help complete the picture. Still, definitely a good bet if you're caught shepherding a large group of people around the East Village in search of a place to sit. Open late. M

August 1999

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