Best bars in East Village: The essential drinking spots
The best bars in the neighborhood range from sophisticated cocktail dens to craft-beer meccas—and one of the city’s oldest pubs.
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Best bars in East Village: The essential drinking spots
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East Village guide: The best of the neighborhood
Whatever your poison, the East Village is prime bar-hopping territory. European suds connoisseurs should head to d.b.a.; McSorley’s Old Ale House offers less choice and more history. Cocktail aficionados can take their pick from several stylish spots, including ingenious repro speakeasy PDT. Also among the best bars in the neighborhood is oenophile hangout Terroir, where expertly curated sips are paired with superior small plates. For something more substantial, consult our selection of restaurants and cheap eats.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to East Village
Amor y Amargo
- Critics choice
At this a colorful nook conceived by Ravi DeRossi (Death & Company, Cienfuegos) and Bittermens, a small-batch bitters producer based in Red Hook, curious drinkers can find plenty of ways to mix edification and inebriation. The focus here is on amari and other bitters, which can be explored via tasting flights or excellent stirred cocktails created by Mayur Subbarao (Dram). Sip your way through a range of trendy fernet or herbal liqueurs made by Carthusian monks, then try the
- 443 E 6th St, (between First Ave and Ave A), 10009
Booker and Dax
- Price band: 3/4
- Critics choice
The far-out experiments of the wizardly Dave Arnold, French Culinary Institute's director of culinary technology, have long informed the work of boundary-pushing bartenders and chefs like Don Lee and Wylie Dufresne. At this tech-forward cocktail joint, housed in the former Momofuku Milk Bar space next to Ssäm Bar, Arnold's boozy tinkerings get a room of their own. Here, glasses are chilled with a pour of liquid nitrogen and winter warmers are scorched with a Red Hot Poker, a rod
- 207 Second Ave, (at 13th St (entrance on 13th St))
d.b.a.
- Critics choice
Though this East Village bar is held hostage by B&T types on weekends, there’s plenty of elbow room among the locals during the week. It’s a beer lover’s mecca—250 brews (20 on tap), from the expensive (a Belgian kriek, or sour-cherry beer, goes for $25 per bottle) to the unpronounceable (Schlenkerla Rauchbier). Paralyzed by indecision? Think it over in the back garden (it’s
open year-round).
- 41 First Ave, (between 2nd and 3rd Sts), 10003
Death & Company
- Critics choice
The nattily attired mixologists are deadly serious about drinks at this pseudospeakeasy with Gothic flair (don’t be intimidated by the imposing wooden door). Black walls and cushy booths combine with chandeliers to set the luxuriously somber mood. Patrons bored by shot-and-beer bars can sample the inventive cocktails, including a fiery Fresa Brava (strawberries and jalapeño-infused tequila), as well as top-notch grub including bacon-swaddled filet mignon bites.
- 433 E 6th St, (between First Ave and Ave A)
Elsa
- Critics choice
This stylish saloon hosts a bespoke tailor in its anteroom two days a week—not surprising for a bar named after 20th-century fashion priestess Elsa Schiaparelli. The clean, airy space is echoed in the minimalist drinks list: ten international wines by the glass and a worthy selection of beers—drafts are funneled through an ancient sewing machine. But the real draw here is the ten affordable cocktails, including an austere old-fashioned and a smooth Jaszek (applejack, Falernum,
- 217 E 3rd St, (between Aves B and C)
Jimmy’s No. 43
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
This subterranean brew house is the unofficial clubhouse for the New York beer community, thanks to the efforts of garrulous owner Jimmy Carbone. For a beer education on the cheap, make a habit of attending the $10 Tuesday Tastings, where an expert leads guests through pours of five to six brews within a particular theme (e.g., Colorado brews, seasonal beers made with fresh hops). Because of Carbone's hands-on involvement in the local scene, his dozen taps (most $6--$8) and deep
- 43 E 7th St, (between Second and Third Aves)
KGB Bar
- Critics choice
- Free
Bespectacled lit chicks outnumber apparatchiks in this former Ukrainian social club. The dim parlor-style bar nestled in the second floor of a walk-up has Cold War decor, cheap Baltika beer, whiskey on the rocks and free readings—all of which lure New York’s literary underground, including stars like A.M. Homes and Kathryn Harrison.
- 85 E 4th St , (between Bowery and Second Ave), 10003
Mayahuel
- Critics choice
Barkeep Phil Ward focuses on tequila and its cousin, mescal, at this East Village haute cantina. His wonderful menu features a cool-as-marble Cinquenta Cinquenta—a pairing of chamomile-infused reposado tequila and white vermouth that goes down like iced tea. The Slynx cocktail is a liquid campfire of aged tequila, applejack, bitters and a smoky rinse of mescal. The craftsmanship in the drinks is equaled in the bar menu, featuring juicy pork bellies. Despite its many strengths,
- 304 E 6th St, (between First and Second Aves)
McSorley’s Old Ale House
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Ladies should probably leave the Blahniks at home. In traditional Irish-pub fashion, McSorley’s floor has been thoroughly scattered with sawdust to take care of the spills and other messes that often accompany large quantities of cheap beer. Established in 1854, McSorley’s became an institution by remaining steadfastly authentic and providing only two choices to its customers: McSorley’s Dark Ale and McSorley’s Light Ale. Both beverages have a lot more character than PBR, though
- 15 E 7th St , (between Second and Third Aves)
PDT
- Critics choice
The entrance to this taxidermy-strewn saloon is hidden behind an old phone booth inside Crif Dogs. Pick up the receiver and a hostess opens the back wall of the booth. Inside, mixologist Jim Meehan offers elite cocktail creations like the frothy Judgment Day, a pleasing mix of citrus, allspice and floral St. Germain. The old-fashioned—made with smoky, bacon-infused bourbon and maple syrup—has become the joint’s best-known drink. The staff is happy to talk you through any libation
- 113 St. Marks Pl, (between First Ave and Ave A)
The Summit Bar
- Critics choice
Mixologist
Greg Seider is behind this democratic lounge—handsome with blue-velvet banquettes and a black-granite bar—for serious drinkers. The menu includes classics like a peppery old-fashioned, and more-creative tipples, including the whiskey-driven Gov’ner (yuzu, orange juice and cardamom-infused agave syrup). As much as Seider’s inventiveness succeeds, it can also go off the rails, as in the She Loves Mei She Loves Mei Not, overly perfumed with rose petals and
- 133 Ave C, (between 8th and 9th Sts)
Terroir
- Critics choice
Oeno-evangelist Paul Grieco (Hearth, Insieme) preaches the powers of terroir—grapes that express a sense of place—at this sparse wine haunt. The superknowledgeable waitstaff aptly helps patrons navigate the 50 by-the-glass options. Equally compelling was the lineup of wine and beer cocktails, including the frothy Abby Flip (Ommegang Abbey Ale, coriander syrup, pomegranate molasses and egg) and restaurant-caliber small plates (sage-wrapped lamb sausages). Stellar sips and a menu
- 413 E 12th St, (between First Ave and Ave A)
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