East Village & Lower East Side
Venture behind a tawdry pawn-shop front for a world of glamour. Beyond lies 10,000 sq ft of sleek restaurant-lounge space, complete with leather sofas and…
Must-see nightlife in New York City
SoHo & Chinatown
Rowdy meets trippy meets craft at this mezcal and tequila house, with vibes of Mexico, the Middle East and the Wild West. If the moon had a saloon, this…
New York City
Better-looking than the average maritime-themed bar, Sea Witch snares an easygoing crowd in among its nautical miscellany, mermaid mural and backlit…
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick
This entertainment upstart in a rickety former casket factory is run by a friendly vegan musician couple. There are more than a dozen draft beers to…
Anable Basin Sailing Bar & Grill
Queens
Navigating past slumbering factories and industrial grit to this waterside warehouse on the East River feels like a bit of an adventure. Once you've…
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick
This reimagining of an early-20th-century Germanic beer hall is not all gimmick: the huge selection of European and local brews, kitchen slinging…
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
Step into this former Jack Kerouac hangout, full of couches and plump chairs, and prepare to stay for a while because the crowd is simply beguiling. It's…
Upper West Side & Central Park
A snazzy neighborhood cocktail bar that feels more downtown than UWS with its cozy banquet sofa seating, tiled flooring and industrially bent lighting…
Queens
Considered LIC's top craft-beer destination by beer geeks in the know, Alewife's cozy 28-draft brewpub and cosmic/alien-themed brews often push boundaries…
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick
The industrial salon theme is common hereabouts, and this Bushwick bar nails the mix of grit and glamour. Hoist yourself onto a metallic stool and decide…
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick
Beer lovers shouldn't miss this place on the edge of McCarren Park, an open, somewhat industrial 6000-sq-ft beer hall with 20 or so beers on tap and…
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
This sweeping rooftop venue at the painfully hip Standard hotel sees a garish parade of party promoters who do their thing on any day of the week. Brace…
New York City
To experience a gritty and gruff outpost against Carroll Gardens' gentrification, look no further than Wade's, plum in the middle of Smith St's food and…
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
A cozy spot just off Seventh Ave’s bustle, Vin Sur Vingt is a slender wine bar with a strip of bar seating and a quaint row of two-seat tables, perfect…
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
A decidedly bohemian crowd favors Art Bar, which doesn't look like much up front (booths are crowded too close to the wooden bar), but it has more going…
Everything Goes Book Café & Neighborhood Stage
Staten Island
Browse the bookshelves of this warren-like store before curling up in the cafe to flick through pages over a Fairtrade coffee, veggie bowl or bagel…
Rolf’s Bar & German Restaurant
Union Square, Flatiron District & Gramercy
During the six weeks before Christmas, Rolf’s transforms from average German bar into a whimsical tribute to the yuletide season that falls somewhere…
Queens
This Czech community center kicked off NYC's beer-garden craze, and nothing quite matches it for space and heaving drinking crowds, which pack every…
New York City
Seductive use of curved, polished wood, leadlighting and inviting niches make June a delightful place to linger over interesting natural wines from Europe…
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick
Regulars might wonder how you stumbled on the place but Harefield Road is the best kind of local pub: friendly greetings as you enter, a brick-walled…
East Village & Lower East Side
Dimly lit yet exuberantly welcoming, Nowhere is everything a local gay dive bar should be. There's a pool table, the drinks are strong and cheap, and a…
Upper West Side & Central Park
This charming neighborhood cafe-bar beckons you inside with its cheery, sunny interior of whitewashed brick walls and the scent of fresh-roasted coffee…
SoHo & Chinatown
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…
Upper West Side & Central Park
This low-key, Third Wave cafe with dark wood and copper accents subscribes to a tractor-to-table ethos, manually roasting its single-original coffees in…
New York City
A youngish crowd piles into this spirited, unpretentious bar and it's even better when the back room hosts comedy (usually every Wednesday, plus…
East Village & Lower East Side
Hankering for Williamsburg but too lazy to cross the river? Dive into Crocodile Lounge, the outpost of Brooklyn success-story Alligator Lounge. The lure…
East Village & Lower East Side
You’re likely to see quite a few people on dates at this downtown spot, which serves up clever cocktails and a wide selection of oyster small plates and…
Upper West Side & Central Park
This narrow, mahogany-paneled pub is a neighborhood favorite. It takes its Guinness pours seriously, and features cocktails named after deceased masters…
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
All sorts of young women, many from neighboring New Jersey and Long Island, storm this 'Bar & Girl,' where theme nights bring in spirited DJs spinning hip…
Midtown
A bastion of old New York, this lovingly worn saloon has been here since 1884; Buddy Holly proposed to his fiancée here and Ol' Blue Eyes pretty much…
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
If $16 cocktails and fancy-schmancy Village boutiquery are getting you down, maybe it's time to pay a visit to this run-down little ping-pong hall. Fat…
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick
This well-established, low-key Williamsburg hangout draws a good blend of arty gays and lesbians (plus LGBTIQ+ allies) with its cool staff, cheap drinks,…
Staten Island
For a more neighborly vibe than popular, ferry-side Flagship Brewing, the Nürnberger Bierhaus brings together Bavarian beers and central European comfort…
Harlem & Upper Manhattan
Named after the address where NYC's first black-owned bar stood (back in the 1840s!), 67 Orange Street serves up beautifully crafted cocktails in a cozy,…
Financial District & Lower Manhattan
This amiable wine bar gratifies oenophiles with its well-versed, well-priced wine list, including drops from the Old World and the New, among them natural…
Upper East Side
The best craft-beer destination in Upper Manhattan, Pony Bar pours exclusively American craft (including cask-conditioned ales) with a near total devotion…
Upper East Side
Swish gastropub Daisy serves craft cocktails and creative, seasonal bar plates like pork belly with poached egg and mustard-cumin vinaigrette and oxtail…
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick
Boozers flock together at Duckduck, where bare brick walls and wooden rafters are ornamented with skeletons, retro signs and (you guessed it) toy ducks…
New York City
The British stylings at Black Swan, from chalk boards and rough-hewn wooden tables to English ales and Scottish whisky, are a good reason to say 'cheers.'…
New York City
A friendly local hangout with a steampunk slant, this self-proclaimed 'Nerdvana' has nightly events: live music, movie screenings, 'Nerdeoke' and two…
