- City inspectors shut down Verlaine on Wednesday night.
A visit from the city’s health inspectors Wednesday night shut down Verlaine, a busy Lower East Side nightspot that serves Asian tapas and high-end cocktails with a splash of DJ music, poetry readings and art exhibits.
Verlaine, at 110 Rivington St. near Essex, earned 66 points for seven violations, six of them rated “critical.” Those included problems with food storage temperatures, the presence or evidence of mice and flies, and inadequate hand-washing facilities.
The bar, which is known for its lychee martinis, was last inspected in June, earning 37 points. Under the city’s year-old scoring system, a score of 28 points or more is a “C”, the lowest grade awarded.
[Update, 5:04 p.m.]: Co-ower Gary Weingarten just e-mailed us (and posted a comment, below) with the news that Verlaine passed a re-inspection this afternoon and will be allowed to reopen as of this evening.
