Oliver’s Twist: No cockney pickpockets at this Phinney Ridge bar

First thing you should know: Despite the name of this establishment and its menu of "Oliver Twist"-themed cocktails (and the phrase "WANT MORE" emblazoned on the coasters), there's really nothing Dickensian about this neighborhood bar. At the risk of disappointing those who want to drink with cockney pickpockets in an authentic 19th-century workhouse atmosphere, that's not such a bad thing. If this Phinney Ridge bar were anything like its namesake, it would be the book's happy ending – in which we've been asked to consider ourselves at home and part of the family.

It's very easy to get comfortable here. The lighting is warm and subdued, and even when the joint is packed and everyone's talking at once, you needn't shout to make yourself heard by the staff. When one of the bartenders asks for your order, simply stab the menu in any convenient place and say "I'll have that," because nearly every drink on the menu is terrific. Recommended is the Artful Dodger, a complex mix of vodka, cynar (a tasty artichoke liqueur), Peychaud Bitters and fresh orange, and the Mr. Sowerberry, a sweet-tart concoction made from gin, elderflower syrup, dry vermouth and grapefruit. They're both delicious, but as I said before, it's hard to go wrong here. The staff runs a tight ship: They pay close attention to every customer, squeeze their own fruit for fruit-infused cocktails, and know well the properties and taste of even the most exotic of spirits behind the bar (and there are quite a few exotic bottles back there).

Also worth noting is the food, a menu of small plates that includes a mini-grilled cheese sandwich served with cappuccino-foamed tomato soup, a "grilled chocolate marshmallow brioche sandwich" that's really a plate of messy gourmet s'mores, and best of all, the garlic-buttered popcorn, which may well be the tastiest – and most nefarious – bar food ever served: It is impossible to eat even a handful without wanting another drink.

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