Studio Square

Photograph: Lizz Kuehl

We’re used to battling pushy pilsner-swillers for seats at Astoria’s wildly popular Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden. But on a recent sunny weekend, we discovered the nearby, two-month-old biergarten, Studio Square. The sleek outdoor bar is just as majestic as its always-packed neighbor, but there were more than enough perches for us—and a thousand of our friends. Studio sprawls across an 18,000-square-foot compound: A mural-splashed indoor bar area provides shelter during rainstorms, while the grand cobblestoned courtyard (green with leafy birch trees and creeping vines) is lined with communal picnic tables. A mod fire pit and industrial windows make for a contemporary riff on the classic beer hall, and the party-hearty ambience is fueled by DJs, live bands and one of the city’s best tap selections. Skip the cloying sangria and two-ingredient cocktails—Studio is for beer lovers, with an 18-strong list that includes European classics (Pilsner Urquell, lemony Weihenstephaner wheat beer) and American microbrews (Captain Lawrence’s refreshing Sunblock, Bear Republic’s piney Racer Five). They’re served in sturdy German glassware (half liters $7; liters $13), perfect for the spirited clinking favored by the raucous clientele. As for the food, the Queens-made Schaller & Weber sausages possess a fine pedigree, but our brats were served lukewarm with deflated charred skin, as if they’d sat on the grill too long. The Black Angus burger, cooked till dry and gray, fared even worse. Bohemian Hall may have gotten all the details right, but it’s had 100 years to perfect its formula. Give Studio Square some time—soon enough, this welcome newcomer will be a cherished institution too.—TONY

See more Bar reviews