There are plenty of things to do in New York, but there’s one thing New Yorkers do with more regularity than anything else: drink. No one really has room to host get-togethers in their apartments, so bars become the de-facto social scene. Plus if you live in New York, you’re inevitably stressed, overworked, overcrowded, and in need of a strong one, and the bars stay open so late you can come home when the sun rises. And if you’re visiting, well then you’ve just given your New Yorker friends yet another excuse for Sunday Funday (as if they need excuses).
Since a good portion of my six years in New York were spent in bars, I owe it to the city and my liver to pay tribute to those spots. Here’s a list, though it’s by no means comprehensive (sorry Brooklyn) of some of my favorite NYC watering holes.
Uptown (Upper East and West)
Bemelmans Bar
Carlyle Hotel Website | Upper East Side
Unobtrusive elegance pairs with playful wall illustrations by the bar’s namesake, the creator of Madeline, at the Carlyle Hotel bar.
Boat Basin
www.boatbasincafe.com | Upper West Side
Outdoor riverside bar and grill overlooking the Hudson.
Earl’s Beer and Cheese
www.earlsny.com | Upper East Side
Beer, paired with cheesy things. Nothing to complain about here.
Firehouse
www.firehousenyc.com | Upper West Side
This sports bar sits away from the 80s/Amsterdam stretch of college-saturated bars.
McAleer’s
mcaleerspub.com | Upper West Side
What sets this pub apart is the drink specials: order 2 pitchers of beer, get free wings. (Technically you can choose a free order of nachos, but do not do this. The nachos are awful. The wings are delicious.)
Prohibition
prohibition.net | Upper West Side
Nightly cover bands in a large candle-lit contemporary bar.
Tangled Vine
www.tangledvinebar.com | Upper West Side
Amid a stretch of college frat bars, this cozy wine bar breaks away from the early 20s crowd.
Tarallucci e Vino
taralluccievino.net | Upper West Side
A modern Italian ambiance puts the focus on the wine at this small but airy bar.
Midtown (Columbus Circle to Chelsea)
123 Burger Shot Beer
www.123burgershotbeer.com | Hell’s Kitchen
You want cheap, come here. $1 sliders, $2 shots, $3 beers. Gets everyone good and sloppy quickly.
Bathtub Gin
bathtubginnyc.com | Chelsea
A speakeasy that doubles as a bakery by day, and a Roaring 20s-style cocktail hangout at night. Sit in the iron bathtubs for the full experience.
Bounce
www.bounceny.com | Chelsea
Day-drinking at its most aggressive. Combine about 40 TVs, hordes of drunk football fans, and tables to dance on and you’ve got Bounce.
‘Disiac
www.disiacloungenyc.com | Hell’s Kitchen
Great happy hour spot on nice days, there’s a tiny Bohemian-tinged garden in the back.
Frying Pan
www.fryingpan.com | Chelsea
A few sunken junker ships were dredged off the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay and now serve as a big floating bar complex. Expect long lines on nice decent days.
Japas
Midtown West
Happy hour at its finest: half-priced drinks and karaoke. It’s also possibly the darkest and dingiest bar in Midtown.
The Kimberly
www.kimberlyhotel.com | Midtown East
There are a lot of overrated and overpriced rooftop bars in NYC, but this hotel’s retractable roofed upper level deck bar is one of the better bets, with a Instagram-inducing view and some pretty awesome cocktails.
King Cole Bar
www.kingcolebar.com | Midtown East
A classic, classy meeting spot, the St. Regis bar is known for its mural and (albeit disputed) claim on the Bloody Mary.
Maritime Hotel
www.themaritimehotel.com | Chelsea
It can be a bit sceney, but the nautical-themed outdoor seating and cabanas here are different from everything else in the hood.
McGee’s
www.mcgeespub.com | Midtown West
This neighborhood Irish pub is the model for McLaren’s in How I Met Your Mother. They sometimes have screenings and trivia nights centered around the show.
Pony Bar
theponybar.com | Hell’s Kitchen
It’s a hike out on 10th Ave., but this all-American bar serves all American craft beers.
Standard Biergarden
Standard Hotel Website | Chelsea
A perfect blend of Meatpacking trendy and casual beer garden. Plus it’s covered but still open air, so rainy beer days are on the menu.
Stone Rose
gerberbars.com/stone-rose-ny | Midtown West
In the vein of some of the Time Warner restaurants, this upscale wine bar toes the line between swanky happy hour hotspot and chic date destination.
Valhalla
valhallabarnyc.com | Hell’s Kitchen
A beer lover’s happy hour spot, with 50 taps and almost 60 bottles to choose from.
Downtown (Below 14th St.)
6th Ward
www.thesixthward.com | Lower East Side
The bar itself is a little sleepy, but there’s a really nice sized outdoor beer garden in the back, were you can enjoy bottomless brunch.
Amity Hall
www.amityhallnyc.com | Greenwich Village
Chill spot to watch football on Sundays, fun place for drinking and dancing on weekends.
Anfora
www.anforanyc.com | West Village
Cozy tables and a good wine list make this a primo date spot.
Aria Wine Bar
Aria on Google+ | West Village
A quiet, rustic neighborhood place, it’s an idea spot to while away an afternoon with a bottle of wine.
Art Bar
www.artbar.com | West Village
A funky, vintage vibe in the back room is a nice option in a stretch of few bars.
Automatic Slims
Autos on Google+ | West Village
Fratty dance party in a crowded sliver of a bar.
Back Fence
www.thebackfenceonline.com | Greenwich Village
Dive bar with live nightly cover bands. Apparently it closed right after I moved but I’ll keep it on my list for posterity.
Bar None*
www.barnonenyc.com | East Village
*Only on Sundays, when this is the Minnesota Vikings bar! Other nights it’s a gross place where underage kids come to drink.
Blind Tiger Ale House
www.blindtigeralehouse.com | West Village
A longtime standout on the NYC beer scene, this place is king of craft.
Bowery Electric
www.theboweryelectric.com | Bowery
Fratty dance party in a large 2-level bar with an elevated stage/dance floor.
Corkbuzz
www.corkbuzz.com | Union Square
You can take wine classes here, but the bar itself is a perfect specimen of trendy-but-not-too-trendy New York wine bar.
Crocodile Lounge
www.crocodileloungenyc.com | East Village
Free pizza. With every drink. Plus there’s really really intense trivia on Wednesdays.
Duplex
www.theduplex.com | West Village
Cabaret bar that attracts Broadway-ers on their days off.
Fat Cat
www.fatcatmusic.org | West Village
A rare cavernous subterranean jazz club, games hall, and bar, this place has it all, from ping pong to Scrabble. Worth the small cover.
Hudson Clearwater
www.hudsonclearwater.com | West Village
You have to know where to go, because the door is hidden off a side street. You enter through a small garden and to find a rustic and romantic bar revealed inside.
Gottino
ilmiogottino.com | West Village
A long, thin, softly lit bar, this place charms with its exposed brick walls and chalkboard menus.
Karaoke Boho
www.karaokeboho.com | Lower East Side
Unlike many of its cohorts, this karaoke spot keeps its lists pretty current, so you can sing hot jamz in addition to oldies and goodies.
Keg 229
www.binno220.com/keg-home.aspx | South Street Seaport
Have to keep this neighborhoody beer bar on the list, but unfortunately its doors are still closed from Hurricane Sandy.
Lillies
www.lilliesnyc.com | Union Square
While always busy, this Victorian bar flies under the radar of most people who don’t know the neighborhood, probably thanks to its side street location. The pressed tin ceiling is my favorite.
Lederhosen
www.lederhosennyc.com | West Village
Very large beers pair with a very German menu in this no-frills beer hall room.
McSorely’s
McSorely’s on Google+ | East Village
The oldest bar in the city, and one of the best places to take visitors. Beer is served be the pair of glasses.
Puck Fair
www.puckfairbar.com | SoHo
Old reliable, this place is all at once busy pub, private nook, dance floor space, and private party balcony.
Spitzer’s Corner
www.spitzerscorner.com | Lower East Side
One of the early cool wood-lined crafty beer bars in the area, the name has seen its fair share of relevance.
Spring Lounge
thespringlounge.com | SoHo
The walls are lined with sharks and John Mayer’s here all the time (apparently he lives up stairs). Otherwise it’s good early, douchy later.
Sunburnt Cow
Sunburnt Cow on Google+ | East Village
Aussies like booze, so get ready to drink — especially if you come for the bottomless brunch.
Swine
swinenyc.com | West Village
It’s a bit removed from the general West Village foot traffic, but this homey spot combines casual craftiness upstairs with a game-driven laid-back downstairs.
Tortilla Flats
www.tortillaflatsnyc.com | West Village
There’s so much tinsel and PBR signage that you can’t see the ceilings in this Mexican restaurant. Many blackouts begin here, then stumble up the street to Automatic Slims.
Tropical 128
tropical128.com | Little Italy
Sort of like the Rainforest Cafe meets bar on a Tiki holiday. Tropical kitsch is cool here.
Ulysses Folk House
www.ulyssesfolkhouse.com | Financial District
Anchoring cobbled Stone Street is this traditional Irish pub. Come summer tables explode into the alley creating a makeshift beer hall. Plus it’s owned by a Georgetown alum, so has gotta be good.
Wilfie & Nell
wilfieandnell.com | West Village
Choose from nook-like seating areas or large communal tables — or don’t sit because on weekend’s it’s packed. But I was randomly here once for a 30 Rock cast birthday party, which to me gives this bar celeb status.
Zum Schneider
www.zumschneider.com | East Village
The best part of this German bar isn’t the huge beers, it’s the odd indoor tree that I always thought was real but actually is just part of the decor. I guess that means the beers are strong…
Queens (What?!)
Bohemian Beer Garden
www.bohemianhall.com | Astoria
Yes it’s in Queens, and yes it’s worth the hike. This large beer garden delivers on drinks, food, live music, and community vibe. It’s the one and only reason many Manhattanites have been to this borough.
