At street level, the windows are gigantic by dive bar standards, the trope of the dimly lit dive bar smashed here by nearly floor to ceiling glass. The look outside is more New York boutique than it is dusty old dive bar, one example of the line straddled by Sophie’s. A recessed glass door in the center of two bay-like windows is a unique look for a neighborhood bar and one that provides ample view of the assembled crowd inside. That preview of the space is a beneficial twist on the dive bar theme here, allowing you to assess whether the size of the crowd matches the intent of your drinking (solo or looking for a little chaos).
Once inside, the vibe is very much neighborhood haunt more than traditional dive bar, which is no slight. The walls feature a mixture of exposed brick and solid red paint, a handful of photos distributed throughout the space paired with art pieces to add a little class to the proceedings. The surfaces alternate between brick, paint and a little bit of wood paneling that runs halfway up one of the interior walls. In spots, the black-painted ceiling features a bit of prose stapled flat. Also affixed to the ceiling is a flat white sign with rope lighting around the edge inscribed with “We’re All Here Because We’re Not All There.”
The highlight at Sophie’s is the bar itself, a nicely faded wooden shrine to liquor that takes up a fairly small footprint toward the front of the space. The counter, the swinging doors providing access to behind the bar, the shelving for the liquor bottles, all of it looks to be held together with old nails and ancient wood in the best possible way. The structure holding everything up takes the shape of a shingled roof, spires on either side of it with glass cabinets holding additional drinking-adjacent knick knacks and materials. Yellow lighting splashing on the liquor bottles paired with polished brass tap handles makes for a very mellow, very classic appeal to the counter area.
