The Bar Concept That Haunted Anthony Bourdain's Nightmares
Anthony Bourdain became a beloved authority on all things food for many reasons, chief of which was his courage. The man was ready to eat almost anything, leading to some crazy meals featured on his shows. Bourdain did have his limits, of course, especially when it came to bars; Tony loved a drink, as long as it wasn't a tequila shot. One bar in particular combined two things Bourdain hated when it came to his watering holes: a theme bar that was also a dating bar, which was the case for NYC's Remote Lounge.
One episode of A Cook's Tour was focused entirely on the elements of a great bar, with Bourdain focusing on comfort. Tips included finding a place nearby with convenient hours and a good selection on the jukebox. Bourdain personally said he wasn't looking for crowds, new friends, or romantic interests. That's why Remote Lounge — a dating bar with a video conference gimmick — was his nightmare. Not only was a dating bar the opposite of what he was looking for on a night out, he also disliked tacky themes and warned against ordering dishes with cutesy, punny names. For Anthony Bourdain, Remote Lounge was a marriage made in hell.
Remote Lounge was both tacky and ahead of its time
Obviously Bourdain was not a fan of Remote Lounge, but was he alone in not taking to the talky tech? Not quite. According to DocPop, the bar stayed open from 2001 to 2007 (not the worst run for a trendy Manhattan spot) and was ahead of its time in many ways. Not only is video chatting an everyday part of our lives now, Remote Lounge's many cameras could take pictures of events and upload them to their website, years before anyone posted their Cosmopolitan to their Instagram or TikTok. While the bar was exciting at first, it definitely overstayed its welcome.
One Yelp review made just before Remote Lounge closed for good shows the decline. The bouncer was rude, the place was nearly empty, and most of the video booths were broken. Another review said the bar "gets old after the 2nd time you go." With so many weird and wonderful restaurants around the world, it's much nicer to go to a bar whose gimmick actually works. Or, if you're like Anthony Bourdain was, it's better just to go to a bar without any gimmick at all.