Restaurant in New York City, United States
Communal Draught Format
Biergarten at 848 Washington St is the Meatpacking District's low-commitment, outdoor, communal-table option — walk-ins are the norm, and the format handles groups of six or more more easily than most sit-down restaurants nearby. Best for casual drinks and large gatherings rather than date nights or occasion dinners. Easy to book, straightforward to visit, limited on detail — verify hours and menu specifics directly before you go.
Outdoor seating in the Meatpacking District runs scarce from May through September, and Biergarten at 848 Washington Street fills that gap in a neighborhood where most options skew toward polished sit-down dining or late-night bars. If you want a casual, open-air drink or meal in this part of Manhattan without a reservation commitment, Biergarten is worth knowing. Booking is easy — walk-ins are the norm rather than the exception — which makes it a reliable fallback when tighter spots nearby are full.
The physical setup is the main reason to come. The format is a traditional beer garden: communal tables, open-air seating, and a layout designed for groups to spread out rather than for intimate tête-à-tête dining. It sits on Washington Street in the West Village-adjacent stretch of the Meatpacking District, which gives it a lively pedestrian backdrop without the full noise of the Gansevoort corridor. For a special occasion dinner or a date that calls for atmosphere and quiet, this is not the right call , the communal format and ambient noise make conversation-heavy evenings easier elsewhere. But for a celebratory afternoon drink, a low-pressure catch-up with a larger group, or a post-work gathering that doesn't require a reservation two weeks out, the space delivers.
If you find yourself returning to Biergarten across multiple visits, think of each trip as serving a different function. A first visit is leading treated as a drinks-focused stop: arrive early in the evening when seating is easier to claim, get a feel for the communal table rhythm, and keep the order direct. A second visit, once you know the layout, works well for a larger group , the format handles six to eight people more naturally than most restaurants in the neighborhood, which tend to cap at four before requiring private dining arrangements. A third visit, if the season allows, is worth timing to a weekend afternoon when the outdoor atmosphere is at its most relaxed and the crowd is less post-work urgent. The Meatpacking District's dining calendar shifts significantly with the weather, so late spring and early fall offer the most comfortable outdoor conditions at venues like this.
The address is 848 Washington St, New York, NY 10014, putting it a short walk from the 14th Street A/C/E/L subway stops. Booking is easy , walk-ins are consistently viable, which separates Biergarten from reservation-dependent spots in the same neighborhood. No price data is confirmed in our records, so budget planning is leading done by checking directly before you go. Dietary restriction handling, specific menu details, and current hours are not confirmed in our data; contacting the venue directly before a visit with specific needs is the practical approach. For a fuller picture of what's happening in this part of the city, see our full New York City restaurants guide, our full New York City bars guide, and our full New York City experiences guide.
Biergarten occupies a different tier entirely from the city's formal dining heavy-hitters. Le Bernardin, Atomix, Per Se, Masa, and Eleven Madison Park are all $$$$ destinations requiring advance planning, specific dress expectations, and a commitment to a multi-hour, multi-course format. Biergarten is the right answer when none of those conditions apply , when you want a low-commitment, outdoor, group-friendly stop without the logistics overhead. Within its own category, it competes with other beer garden and casual outdoor concepts across Manhattan, where the differentiator is usually location and seating availability rather than culinary ambition.
If the occasion calls for something more structured in the neighborhood , a birthday dinner, a business meal, or a date where the food is the point , the Meatpacking District and adjacent West Village have stronger options. For broader comparisons across American cities, venues like Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Smyth in Chicago, and Providence in Los Angeles show what the high end of casual-to-serious dining looks like in comparable urban markets , though none of them are direct competitors to Biergarten's format. For European comparisons in a more formal register, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico and Dal Pescatore in Runate illustrate the ceiling of the category, and underscore that Biergarten is operating in a deliberately different register , casual, accessible, and volume-friendly rather than destination-driven.
Yes, and this is one of its genuine advantages. The communal table format is built for groups , parties of six to eight will find the layout more natural here than at most sit-down restaurants in the Meatpacking District, which tend to max out at four before requiring private arrangements. Walk-ins for larger groups are generally viable, though arriving early in the evening improves your chances of claiming enough consecutive seating. Specific group booking policies are not confirmed in our records; contact the venue directly for larger parties.
It works, but it is not the optimal format for a solo visit. Communal tables mean you will share space with strangers, which suits some solo diners and not others. If you want a solo drink in the Meatpacking District with more of a bar-counter feel, there are quieter options nearby. That said, the low-commitment, walk-in format means you can leave when you want without having held a reservation , which has its own appeal. See our full New York City bars guide for alternatives better suited to solo visits.
Bar seating specifics are not confirmed in our data. The beer garden format typically centers on communal outdoor tables rather than a traditional bar counter, but layout details may vary. Contact the venue directly to confirm current seating options. For a broader look at New York City dining options, our full New York City restaurants guide covers venues across all formats and price points.
For casual outdoor drinking in the Meatpacking District, the neighborhood has several bar and lounge options with outdoor terraces. If you want to step up to a full-service dining experience nearby, the West Village has strong options across multiple price points. For destination dining in New York City, Le Bernardin leads on seafood, Atomix on modern Korean, and Eleven Madison Park on plant-based tasting menus , though all three are in a different category of commitment and price. See our full New York City restaurants guide for a wider set of alternatives.
Only if the occasion calls for casual and communal. A birthday with a large group of friends who want low-key drinks and outdoor seating , yes. An anniversary dinner, a proposal, or a business meal where the environment needs to signal formality , no. For special occasions where the venue needs to do more of the work, Per Se or Masa are the kind of New York City bookings that match that brief, though both require significant advance planning and budget. Also consider reviewing our full New York City hotels guide if the occasion involves an overnight stay.
Specific menu and dietary information is not confirmed in our data. The practical approach is to contact the venue directly before visiting, particularly for anything beyond standard requests. Beer garden formats often run direct food programs, but assumptions about vegetarian, vegan, or allergen-specific options are not reliable without confirmation from the venue. For venues where dietary accommodation is a confirmed strength, Eleven Madison Park , which runs an entirely plant-based menu , is the most prominent New York City example in that category.
If you are planning a broader New York City trip around this visit, Pearl's guides cover the full range: restaurants, hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences. For comparable casual-to-serious dining decisions in other American cities, Emeril's in New Orleans, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, and The French Laundry in Napa are worth benchmarking against when you want to understand what a high-commitment dining booking looks like relative to a low-commitment stop like Biergarten.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Biergarten | — | |
| Le Bernardin | $$$$ | — |
| Atomix | $$$$ | — |
| Per Se | $$$$ | — |
| Masa | $$$$ | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | $$$$ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
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