Nightlife in Tarrytown

Over the course of more than 200 years, happy shouts have ricocheted among the Palladian columns and bricks walls of what is now The Publick House. Working with expert architects, the brick building, which has served at different times as a hotel, a school, and an unnecessarily large paperweight, was carefully restored. The team rebuilt the original two-story porch and balcony, but also added modern touches such as a coffee bar with refrigerated glass display cases filled with fresh hazelnut, pistachio, and chocolate gelato. In the kitchen, chefs slide pizzas into the brick oven, melting pools of mozzarella and ricotta around toppings such as shrimp and arugula. Nearby, strip steaks crackle, and steam rises from pots of rose-colored vodka sauce. Glasses of martinis chirp together in toasts, punctuating the sounds of live music, and bartenders pour Orval ale, one of a small number of beers imported to United States from Trappist monasteries in Europe.

Perhaps it’s the slow, bluesy chords flowing from the guitarist in the corner that compel the customer to put down her drink, pick up a stick of chalk, and scrawl a wistful message on the bar. Or perhaps it’s the flicker of candles––their golden halos staving off the city night––that has inspired this misty-eyed inscription. Far from being annoyed at the graffiti now adorning his workspace, the bartender leans over to read the patron’s message, smiling knowingly at the freshly penned late-night bulletin. With a grin and a poured glass of wine, he coaxes a smile from her as she swipes her words from the board.

Such intimate, inviting evenings are a regular occurrence at Sweet Grapes Wine Bar, where a vast collection of vinous libations and snacks keep guests chatting and laughing into the wee hours of the morning. The chalkboard-topped bar affords customers a blank expanse to fill with favorite quotes or high-school locker combinations, while an ever-changing lineup of musicians floods the space with live tunes on a regular basis.