Bar entertainment in New York City
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Park
The party may have moved elsewhere but the Park, with its multiple rooms and over-the-top design, has lost none of its appeal. The main dining room boasts a stand of 30-ft-tall bamboo and wide glass doors leading into the garden. There’s also a Penthouse and loungey Red Room with fireplace – festive spaces that open only on weekend nights (at 11pm); there’s no cover, but expect lines.
reviewed
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Last Exit
Sometimes the laid-back bartenders put on a pub quiz; other times a DJ shows up to spin. Most of the time it's locals unwinding over beers, happy to talk to strangers and let the night slip away.
reviewed
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Moto
The Next Williamsburg is East Williamsburg – a great mix of hipsters and Latin American locals and roomy bars offering free pizza and ’70s arcade games: perfect for a bar-hopping night out. A good place to start is under the rattling J/M/Z subway tracks at Moto, a low-lit corner spot with creaky wood floors and live accordion music that feels like something straight out of 1920s Paris. Food’s not bad – snacks and starters like panini beat the mains – but it’s perfect for a glass of wine or mug of Australia’s Coopers lager to kick-start the night.
reviewed
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Apotheke Bar
It takes a little effort to track down this former opium den–turned–apothecary-bar located on Doyers St (known as the Bloody Triangle back when this was gang territory). Look for a Golden Flower sign – that's the clue you've arrived. The sleek red interior, with marble bar and apothecary-type mortars, pestles and cylinders, gives the Apotheke Bar a cool vibe, enhanced when the owner passes around his homemade absinthe. The cocktails are intense and flavorful: try the Five Points (hibiscus, Italian bitters, grape juice and sugar-cane-infused rum) or the Saffron Sazerac (with saffron-infused bourbon).
reviewed
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Bill's Gay Nineties
Don't let the name fool you – the clientele at this bar are generally as straight as they come. It's all about the Roaring Twenties at Bill's, the decade when original owner Bill Hardy converted the ground floor of his brownstone into a speakeasy. Bill's still retains its illicit aura, in part because you have to traverse hand-carved swinging doors to reach the cavernous inner sanctum, with its high beams, low lights and numerous boxing and racing pictures. It's a great place to unwind, grab a drink and make a new friend.
reviewed
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High Bar
Shake your cares away at this lush rooftop hideaway, where you can lounge in breezy comfort on a big plush day bed and sip your martini in peace. Sixteen floors above the city, the High Bar is a sweet escape from the summer heat (in winter the party moves downstairs), even when the dancing starts and things get sticky. High Bar likes the natural look – white canopies, teak and bamboo chairs and tables, and dark slate tile on the floor. When the massive BBQ grill gets fired up and food starts to sizzle it's party time.
reviewed
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G
West Side Tavern
Talk about normal! This beer-scented tavern has an old-fashioned vibe, loud classic rock and a popular pool table, along with decent pub fare and roomy tables alongside its lengthy bar. The crowd is filled with groups of regular Joes and the occasional girlfriend, and on alternating Fridays the high straight-boy content (for Chelsea) is especially obvious.
The small basement gets packed with some of the hottest men in the 'hood for Snaxx, a DJ-driven lounge soiree that pulls in a big crowd based on buzz alone.
reviewed
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Chibi's Bar
This tiny, romantic sake spot has a delicately curved wooden bar with ice-blue stools, plus a loungier room to one side. It works its magic through smooth jazz sounds (live on Sundays) and the dangerously delicious flavors of specialty sakes, saketinis, and a unique bar menu boasting treats from edamame (fresh soybeans) to salmon caviar.
Two other outposts are Chibitini, on the Lower East Side, and the Kitchen Club, around the corner, offering a great menu of homemade dumplings.
reviewed
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Prohibition
There's not much that's prohibited at Prohibition – in fact, the bar is nicely set up to accommodate a lot of drinking. There's a live band almost every night up front, but decibel levels are low enough that your ears won't bleed. Those who want to talk can head into the back, which is band-free, and for those who prefer sports, there's a billiard table. Sexy red walls and inventive drinks (lavender martinis and rum mojitos) add a little flair, and the bite-sized burgers are a perfect bar snack.
reviewed
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Kettle of Fish
Step into this dimly lit spot, full of couches and plump chairs, and prepare to stay for a while because the crowd is simply beguiling. It's a dive bar, a sports bar and a gay bar in one, and everyone mixes happily. There are stacks of board games like Monopoly and checkers that patrons are encouraged to play, as well as darts, and if you get hungry, the barkeeps will offer menus from nearby restaurants that deliver here. The owner is a Packers fan, so expect raucous activity on game days.
reviewed
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Sapa
Thanks to an inspired, modern look by award-winning designers, the stylish bar at this French-Vietnamese eatery has become a Flatiron hotspot - drawing not only local professionals and destination diners but the occasional clutch of celebs. Enjoy the slim walnut bar, whisper-thin scrims and work-of-art lighting schemes.
Cocktails make creative use of mint, mulberry syrup, homemade infusions and all things muddled, though you can also get a quality bottle of beer or glass of wine.
reviewed
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Spuyten Duyvil
Enjoy one of NYC’s most eclectic beer lists at the low-key Spuyten Duyvil – an Old Dutch phrase thought to mean either ‘in spite of the devil’ or ‘spout of the devil.’ Inside, painted-red ceilings and vintage maps look over wood floors and armchairs with chatting locals from various eras. There are cheese-and-pickle plates if you’re too drunk already, plus a back patio open in good weather.
reviewed
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Glass
Lots of translucent tiles, bar stools and table tops edged with bright pinks and blues give this glassy bar its name – or maybe it's from the slick crowd. Either way, the cocktails are the big draw: strong and varied, ranging from blue martinis to deep-green caipirinhas and pretty pink cosmos. It has a small dance floor and sometimes a $10 cover charge at the door, but the egalitarian entrance policy won't leave you waiting in line for hours.
reviewed
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Louis 649
Bronx-born Zachary Sharaga's bar is a local standout in the East Village, beloved by its patrons for the affordable prices and down-home, no-frills decor. Tuesday nights are free tasting nights, when the owner brings in a liquor specialist to talk about their brew and liberally pours free shots. Having done away with its tradition of live jazz, the music's now an eclectic mix of pop, hip-hop and rock from whoever's brought an iPod.
reviewed
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Movida
Meant to look like a three-floor luxury yacht, and succeeding fairly well, Movida's a strange brew of deliberate glitz and rowdy bonhomie. Liberal entrance policies, a relaxed but hip crowd, and a real affinity for retro punk, post-punk, new wave, rock and electro have put Movida on the downtown map. The Robot Rock party on Saturday night is a favorite; a second happy hour when drinks are half-price runs from 02:00-03:00 nightly.
reviewed
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Auction House
Dark maroon doors lead into a sexy, candlelit hangout that's perfect for a relaxing drink. Victorian-style couches and fat, overstuffed easy chairs are strewn about the wood-floored rooms. Those looking to mix can gather round the various fireplaces and admire the scene reflected in the gilt-edged mirrors propped up on the walls. The bar's well-crafted martinis taste pretty darn good from the depths of a comfortable chair.
reviewed
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Milk & Honey
You can’t beat the ’40s-era low-key ambience of the most infamous bar on the Lower East Side – the cocktails are superb (and priced accordingly at $15 each), and the staff are even friendly – it’s just that you have to know people to get in. No number listed, no sign outside but a graffitied door. Go, if you can, but we can’t knock the feeling that the exclusivity is pretty lame.
reviewed
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151
Down an unmarked set of stairs and behind a graffiti-covered door you'll find a local joint that gets pretty packed. Come early for the extended happy hour from 6pm to 10pm. Sunday nights you'll find a sweaty dance party dedicated to those who have to work in the morning. Music progresses from pop (Lady Gaga) to hip-hop (Jay-Z) to hardcore rock tunes (Guns N' Roses); that seems to suit the edgier after-midnight crowd.
reviewed
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Heartland Brewery
The original Heartland pub is here in Union Sq, and it's still the best in the city for afternoon people-watching and postwork drinks. The outside tables give you a front-row seat for the usual Union Sq zaniness, while inside you can rub elbows with all kinds of New Yorkers while lifting a few specialty brews. Heartland also has an extensive array of tasty bar treats, like wings, cheese sticks and potato skins.
reviewed
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G Lounge
Glossy and unpretentious, this gay bar is as straight-friendly as they come, and it's really all about the music. DJs rotate daily, but Tuesday is always BoyBox night. Check out the website to find out who's spinning when while you're in town. For heavy drinking and dancing with no cover, you can't beat G – although you may have to wait in line to get in. Dress at G Lounge is refreshingly casual. Cash only.
reviewed
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Campbell Apartment
Party like it’s 1928! This hidden-away, sublime spot in Grand Central was once the home of a ’20s railroad magnate fond of fussy European details: velvet, mahogany and Florentine-style carpets. Reach it from the lift beside the Oyster Bar or the stairs to the West Balcony.
reviewed
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Mulberry Street Bar
Frank Sinatra liked this 100-year-old Little Italy hang, which was also used as a backdrop for scenes in the Sopranos, Godfather III and Donnie Brasco. And you’ll like it for hanging around, even as Little Italy slowly disappears. The gruff, old-school bartenders add to the charm, as does the odd mix of wide-eyed tourists, crusty regulars and the overflow of hipsters.
reviewed
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Union Hall
Up front, leather settees and armchairs sit next to the masculine full-wall bookshelves and the fireplace makes the Hall feel like an old-world gentleman's club during gentler times. Things get busy-rowdy later on, with a clanking bocce court in back and an indie-rock stage in the basement. If you're thinking of clanking the bocce ball, prepare to wait an hour or two. Good snacks.
reviewed
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Pete’s Candy Store
Go see what’s on at Pete’s Candy Store. Get there by walking under the BQE via Lorimer St. The bar’s made from a campy makeover of a ’40s ice-cream shop. It stages free music shows (freak folksters and singer-songwritery indie-popsters) and has spelling bees on alternating Mondays, bingo every Tuesday and pub quizzes every Wednesday.
reviewed
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Milano’s
For nearly a century, the hole-in-the-wall Milano’s has withstood the hipster onslaught of Nolita and stayed true to its divey self (potato chips behind the worn, wooden bar and $3 Pabst Blue Ribbon beers). Grizzled vets and curious youngsters mix it up easily, bonding over pints and a great, old-school stacked jukebox with offerings from Tony Bennett to the Chieftains.
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