By MONICA BYERS NEW YORK, NY – My first visit to the Swift Hibermian Lounge in Manhattan’s East Village (or is it NoHo?) was on a chilly October night when the bar had a special beer drink called the Jack O’Lantern i.e. Guiness with pumpkin ale, if memory serves – an important caveat, as this was a while ago and [...]

  LOS ANGELES – Don’t get us wrong.  We love Los Angeles.  However these days, whenever we visit that traffic-clogged, vanity-fueled, sprawling flatness and have a night out it turns out – more often than not – to be a bit more than we expect….and not in good way.  Hollywood seems to be even more touristy (which didn’t seem possible), [...]

  By MONICA BYERS NEW YORK – It calls itself “New York’s sexiest bar and lounge” and that might be about right.  Madame X is downright slutty – think New Orleans bordello meets dive bar.  Though not very fancy, this joint is definitely provocative.  The whole place is bathed in red – from the walls to the lighting to the velour [...]

  By MONICA BYERS LONDON – I think the actual name of this place is The Light Restaurant and Bar, but no one I know calls it that – to us, it’s just “The Light”.   This is one of my recommended bars for folks finding themselves in Shoreditch or The City (which is nearby) looking for a good spot to [...]