Events

$1 Vodka drinks from 1:30-12 & 2-2:30
$3 Beer & well drinks 8-10

Its name portends a high school photo lab or a basement make-out kegger, but the Darkroom, popular with rocker-types, is a bright spot on the LES. Despite the ultralow ceiling and bunker-like stone walls, a new floor plan and some redecorating have made this basement bar far less claustrophobic than its predecessor. A pair of L-shaped bars bisect the cavernous box into two large rooms offering plenty of drinking space, and the low dark brown-leather banquettes are a welcome relief from the shoddy barstools and filthy sofas of many a neighborhood joint. Maybe it's the way a Knob Creek and soda catches the red light that lends Darkroom its charm, or maybe this feeling of warmth stems from a truly happy hour.