The best New York bars for winter: where to escape the cold

Leftfield

Good for: lively

Despite its new-kid status, this welcoming spot has attracted enough regulars that it feels like an old standby. It’s easy to find yourself chatting up one of the Irish-brogued bartenders and nursing $3 Rolling Rocks or Natty Light for longer than you planned, especially when the temperature dips. The adjacent, admission-required space hosts indie-rock, punk and rockabilly acts three nights a week (Thu–Sat; free–$8). Another bonus: Offbeat-snack outfit Wolly Rolls serves up egg rolls stuffed with comfort-food fillings such as cheeseburger, pulled pork, Mexican grilled corn and French onion soup Wed through Sat.

The Clock Bar & Cafe

Good for: groups

Toeing the line between rustic chic (filament lighting, repurposed wood, exposed brick) and industrial (raw concrete), this intimate bar courts drinkers with shareable fare (cured meats, panini and tapas) and a solid cocktail list. The most intriguing section of the menu showcases retro cocktails, with tipples categorized by era. A traditional White Russian dates back to 1920, while the more recent Keyser Soze nods to the 1995 film The Usual Suspects and incorporates Tawney port, dry vermouth and lemon juice into one sturdy cold-weather libation.

Cocktail Bodega

• Price band: 1/4

Good for: cocktails, groups

Sometimes the only response to blustery days and a steadily dropping thermometer is total denial—which, in the cocktail world, translates to a bright, fruity drinks. Matt Levine and Michael Shah (The Eldridge, Sons of Essex) devote their corner-store homage to precisely this type of tropical refreshment. The drink menu is split into four categories—juice, shots, smoothies and make-your-own. Selections such as the Healer’s Lemonade (Effen cucumber vodka, cucumber juice, ginger lemonade, mint leaves, muddled cucumber, lemongrass) will knock you off your stool if you’re not careful, but the drink’s freshness is transporting enough to take you to warmer climes—at least in your mind.

Die Koelner Bierhalle

• Price band: 2/4

Good for: beer, groups

Park Slope gets its own beer mecca with this cavernous German-inspired hall built inside a former warehouse. Rows of picnic-style wooden tables offer seating for up to 200 and ample space for imbibing Deutschland imports (30 on tap, 40 bottled) in sizes up to a liter. Browse the menu by style (e.g., kolsch, Hefeweizen, pilsner) to find brews like the toasty Innstadt Extra Schwarze or the earthy, hoppy Bayreuther Original. Pair your selection with biergarten bites, including nine kinds of bratwurst and Bavarian pretzels.

Proletariat

• Price band: 2/4

Good for: beer, chill

This appropriately egalitarian suds space is staffed by barkeeps fluent in rare, new and unusual beers. Mismatched magnets behind a dozen rotating taps display a menu that changes daily; it’s recently included such obscure selections as a fruity framboise by Oud Beersel and the Yeastie Boys Rex Attitude.

The Guthrie Inn

• Critics choice

Good for: cocktails

In opening this spiritscentric nook, the crew behind Earl’s Beer & Cheese brings yet another buzzy drinking destination to the Upper East Side. A trio of bartenders craft both classics and house originals, deploying a wide range of Italian amari to add depth to cocktails such as the Jackson Ward (Old Grand Dad 100 Proof bourbon, Nardini amaro and Punt e Mes vermouth). Though the quarters might be tight, you shouldn’t have much trouble snagging a seat and making an evening out of sipping and snacking. When you get hungry, slip next door to Earl’s for a nouveau twist on a winter favorite: the grilled-cheese sandwich filled with New York State cheddar, pork belly, kimchi and a fried egg.

Alphabet City Beer Co.

• Price band: 2/4

Good for: beer

Brew seekers can ogle 350 bottles and 12 rotating taps at this bar-retail hybrid. Get a growler for your next holiday bash, or sit at the bar with a pint or ten-ounce pour of a current offering. The friendly staff is happy to advise indecisive drinkers: A recent visit yielded Lagunitas Daytime, a fruity, sessionable IPA, and the rich, coffee-infused Founders Breakfast Stout. A wide communal table encourages kicking back, as does a selection of unfussy eats such as meat and cheese boards.