Ara's owners took its colors from the Moroccan rug on their living-room floor when they were kids, and filled the place with Indian silk cushions and carved Indian wood1. It opened around 2004, and the Meatpacking District went from quiet to crazy around it; as late as 2010 Time Out was surprised to find a hangout this mellow there1, 2. We told readers to skip the front room for the pillowed back, and at least one other guide said the same3. Its website still listed the bar at 24 Ninth Avenue in December 2013, and it has since closed2, 4.
Researched October 2026.