I was so excited to be at the ribbon cutting and opening night party for at 75 Christopher Street last night. It’s a basement space in a 1932 Art Deco building full of all the games you can imagine including shuffleboard, pool, ping pong, chess, board games and even those 80s staples, Frogger and Ms. Pac-Man! This is definitely something different and fun for the historic and legendary West Village. Cellar Dog is right above the 1 train stop at Christopher Street (which is very convenient) and inside sources tell me they might let people bring their pets in the coming months!
As the former Fat Cat, the Cellar Dog is a space that has undergone a major restoration and it will bring back live entertainment. I love that they had live jazz at the opening night event and that the guests get to sit in old church pews in front of the performers. For those of you who party a little too hard, I hate to break it to you but there are no confession booths.
What made me fall in love with Cellar Dog? It is the antique and novelty games including Pac Man and Foosball. I loved being able to play Scrabble in my red leather booth—the board games are only $2 to rent making them one of Manhattan’s cheapest and most fun date activities ever! (You can really learn a lot about how people think if you play Scrabble with them!) I might actually ask if I can bring over my vintage Mystery Date game in the future, LOL!
The owners of Cellar Dog restored the majority of the original historic furniture from when the space was a bowling alley decades ago and then added the latest purifying air filters, contactless ordering, well-appointed restrooms, touchless hand dryers, Apple pay option, and more to continue to keep guests and staff safe.
The casual food and beverage menu features extremely well-priced small bites including movie theater-style nachos, grandma’s pizza, pretzels, and custom ice cream, coupled with wine, seltzers, and a variety of beers on tap. They have delightful pickled veggies for people who like to eat healthier fare, too!
My prediction for Cellar Dog is that they will become one of New York’s hottest date attractions, a big reunion site for old pals in the tristate area and the headquarters for people starting or already running chess clubs. Let me add if I have not said already that Baby Boomers are going to love having all their old games in one place. There will be no more digging through attics and storage units for old checkers and Monopoly games! For more info on this truly unique establishment, go to www.cellardognyc.com.
