The Pink Pony Café

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This venue is closed.

Perhaps one of the best places for an uptowner or out-of-towner to observe the hipster in his natural habitat, this tin ceiling-ed Lower East Side café is the quintessential Bohemian hangout. Before the advent of Bloomberg’s anti-smoking laws, this former dingy coffee shop/performance space would have been the obvious spot to bum a Gaulois or Gitane. Now the only persistent smell at the expanded Pink Pony is the oily aroma of one too many unwashed artists wiling away hours in this linger-friendly space. Although there is a full menu—the Pink Pony is owned by Lucien proprietor Lucien Bahaj—the French-inflected fare goes chiefly by the book. Passable versions of bistro standards like salade niçoise, foie canard, and steak au poivre are not the big draws here. This loiterers heaven can be best utilized for in between-time coffees, camping out with a laptop or good book, and, of course, people watching. — Gabriella Gershenson