Bars
Your guide to bars and drinking in New York City. Whether you’re looking for a cocktail or a beer, use our guide to find the best new bars in NYC.
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The absolute best Williamsburg bars in NYC
Williamsburg bars are responsible for the bulk of Brooklyn’s glittering drinking scene. The neighborhood has watering holes for every type of drinker: straightforward beer bars for hops geeks, sophisticated first-date bars for Tinder matches and a bevy of chameleon-like joints that are equal parts bars, restaurants and places to dance. Read on for the absolute best bars in the hood. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The 26 best speakeasy bars in NYC
It feels like NYC speakeasy bars are a dime a dozen right now. In a city as vibrant and storied as New York, there’s no telling how many hidden architectural gems, in-the-know parties and clandestine art galleries lay unnoticed to the greater masses—ditto with NYC’s best speakeasy bars and restaurants. From dialing in codes, secret entrances through a telephone booth and a Japanese restaurants' tasting menu served behind an unassuming butcher shop, these are the best restaurants and bars offering great eats and drinks on the down low. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best bars in NYC
18 best bathrooms at restaurants and bars in NYC
At some of the best new restaurants in NYC, delicious food, highly-conceptualized plating and big name chefs may be what initially draws in hungry diners. But small details—such as wacky bathroom interior design—help spread the word. With rising rents and so much competition amongst new and old establisments, restaurants are placing more emphasis than ever on attention-grabbing design. While bathroom selfies have been around since the advent of Instagram, today, they allow many to find out about trendy bar and restaurant openings; accounts such as @toiletfantasies and @poopersguide are even documenting the underrated art form. In fact, public bathrooms—whether at outdoor restaurants or vegan spots—have never been more entwined in pop culture. Artist Nina Katchoudourian made a name through her photo series, "Lavatory Portraits in the Flemish-style," documenting herself inside airplane bathrooms. Netflix's Russian Doll uses its Art Deco-ish forest green restroom as the liminal portal through which Natasha Lyonne's character is trapped reliving the same events again and again. In politics, gender neutral restrooms (and the lack thereof) have never been more relevant; it remains a jarring glare when newly-opened spaces seem to perpetuate the binary through design. That's why we're putting together a list of our favorite funky restaurant bathrooms across the city. Some bar and restaurant bathrooms are memorable for their legendary horrors, such was the case at 285 Kent, where li
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Public Records
We first encountered chef Daniel Bagnall a few months back at Short Stories, a clubby restaurant on the Bowery that initially seems easy to write off as basic due to its millennial-pink interior and influencer-heavy clientele. But the food—we tasted a pasta with ramp pesto and pickled strawberries—was memorable. Bagnall left for Public Records, where he’s whipping up more impressive, plant-based offerings.More than a restaurant, Public Records is also a music venue, a bar and a zine shop stocked with printed matter on niche topics, like the aesthetics of football culture, next to lingonberry gummy candies. No matter what mood you’re in, the spot has something to offer: a morning cortado, an energetic yet mature group hangout where you can feel like you’ve “gone out” but still make it to bed by 10pm, and food that’s flexible to dietary restrictions. Located on an industrial block, it feels like a secret passageway into one of the laid-back restaurants that are currently hot in Mexico City, with a touch of hypnotic, austere Berlin nightlife. Grand ceilings, skylights and a spacious gravel patio feel like a blessing in a city known for cramped quarters. And the entirely vegan menu is a nod to the building’s history as a former ASPCA. Dishes are ambitious and surprising (and not just because the dim lights don’t do justice to the Technicolor ingredients). The outstanding but vaguely named Fermented Bok Choy ($13) was a thick-cut sourdough toast topped with kimchi–bok choy an
No Bar
It’s long been a sad but all too real fact of nightlife that a designated gay bar is usually never a solid cocktail destination—until earlier this year, that is, when former Mission Chinese executive chef Angela Dimayuga unveiled this pioneering concept at the Standard East Village.Unabashedly queer and unbound by convention—No Bar’s website declares that there are “no covers, no rules, no holds barred”—the bar serves thoughtful cocktails like the In the Gig ($8), a Tecate-mezcal boilermaker served in a togarashi-rimmed beer can, and the fresh green-juice–esque Feel the Beet ($14), sloshing vodka with Lillet and a fragrant beet shrub. But the gag is that you can enjoy all of these drinks at a DJ-soundtracked, drag queen–moderated viewing party for the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. It’s the ethos of this interdisciplinary approach that makes No Bar a forward-thinking endeavour, and one that expands on what hospitality can be. Why should LGBTQ revelers not enjoy good cocktails and, for that matter, good bar food? From the kitchen, Dimayuga turns out gussied-up pub grub, such as a perfectly browned, made-for-dipping grilled-cheese sandwiches with gooey cheddar and provolone and amped up with a sweet tomato ragù. Then there’s the real showpiece: a spicy Italian sausage sandwich, the meaty links nestled on crunchy broccoli rabe and a funky alpine fontina. Yes, these are simply fancy bar snacks. And, sure, well-made drinks are a dime a dozen in New York. But that belies No
Mister Paradise
The name Mister Paradise sounds like it would be perfect for a bombastic WWE heel-face turn (a character the audience is supposed to hate but ends up loving), and that’s quite fitting for the East Village bar, which has both pomp and substance. While the space is gorgeous, and the cocktails are complex (Party Lobster: blanco tequila, mezcal, Campari, watermelon, lime, fermented habanero and garlic) it is all entirely amusing and accessible. Not to be missed are the french fries, which can be ordered with sea-urchin aioli or whipped foie gras mousse—sophisticated, surely—but the fries were modeled on those the staff were eating from a place across the street during the build-out, and that little spot is called McDonald’s.
Reception
When you think of the word reception, do you think of a warm welcome at someone’s home, where the hostess takes your coat, inquires how you’ve been and—oh, while she’s in the kitchen—asks whether you need anything to drink? Or do you think of a fabulous party, where all the gussied-up guests are indulging in equally gussied-up gastronomic treats? At the cocktail bar named Reception, you’ll find neither. Instead, you’ll enter a candy-coated, retro-futuristic space with nary a greeting. On a recent Wednesday night, all four tables were filled with groups of friends in beanies and thick glasses. Even parked on a barstool, I had trouble flagging down one of the two bartenders who seemed to be constantly preoccupied and slightly ticked that I was interrupting them. The downtown bar serves cocktails but touts its Korean-inspired “elixirs”—a nebulous buzzword for non-alcoholic drinks that harbor Gwyneth Paltrow–approved health benefits. We went to see if these stone-cold-sober options could cure our winter blues. They couldn’t. Out of the five elixirs, four are indistinguishable from chilled, off-brand seltzers. The exception is Aphrodite’s Milk: As a libation intended to “increase libido,” it’s appropriately thick and nutty, mixed with egg white and black sesame. However, the Skinny Shroom (“aids in the breakdown of fat”) with sparkling buckwheat, shimeji mushroom shrub and quince honey is thin on flavor, and Queen Min’s Botanics (“balances hormones”) with white lotus, ginseng h
Felix Roasting Co.
There’s so much to poke fun of at this chichi coffee shop. Take the Pepto-pink room that could double as a Wes Anderson set or its preening “every coffee has a story” motto or the tableside rose-water spritzes. But damn if our cynical hearts weren’t melted when the barista, unbidden, offered a one-on-one demonstration of how to make the $14.50 (ha!) Hickory-Smoked S’mores Latte. “Just tell me if you need me to pause for pictures at any point,” he offered this clumsy iPhone photographer. Yes, he’s done this before. And during this adorably overwrought prep, a lot of things happen. First, he offers you a shot of the addictive graham-cracker–infused steamed milk—which would make a fantastic stand-alone slurp—before mixing it with espresso in a chocolate-rimmed coupe. Then, he covers the drink with a glass cloche, infusing it with hickory smoke, thereby cocooning it—and you—in a woodsy aroma. Finally, he adds the finishing touch: a caramelized marshmallow that he torches until it’s golden brown. Midway through drinking your velvety, campfire-kissed treat, he’ll drop off warm hand towels to aid in the gooey, chocolately mess dripping down the stem. But in case the S’mores Latte is sold out (sometimes by 10am—the shop opens at 7am during the week, 8am on weekends), another new-age java is the Deconstructed Espresso Tonic, which comes in a Bordeaux wineglass filled with tonic water, non-alcoholic Campari reduction and lemon-basil leaves. The server mentions that you should first s
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What's happening at Time Out Market New York ?
Time Out Market New York launches $12 lunch deal with Bessou, Alta Calidad and more
Dumbo isn’t the easiest place to find affordable lunch options, what with all the tourist traps taking advantage of the crowds. With that in mind, we’ve launched our own lunch specials at Time Out Market New York. It's one of the best deals in the neighborhood for both those that are new to the area and those who’ve loved it for a long time. From Monday through Friday, 11am until 3pm, participating vendors will offer a signature dish with a complimentary soft drink (and some with other bonuses), for $12. Here’s what we’re offering: Bessou What’s the deal? Japanese chickpea curry rice bowl with a side of chicken karaage. Mr. Taka Ramen What’s the deal? Spicy Tantan Men (soupless ramen) with wavy, flat noodles, ground pork, scallions, leeks sesame and spicy oil. The dish also comes with a house salad or soba noodles as a side. Photograph: Courtesy Time Out Market New York Alta Calidad Taqueria What’s the deal? A quesadilla-roti (corn or flour) with chips and salsa. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alta Calidad Taqueria (@actqloves) on Dec 3, 2019 at 2:13pm PST Pat LaFrieda What’s the deal? Signature slider and fries. Clinton St. Baking Company What’s the deal? A “B.E.L.T”: Double smoked bacon, free range eggs, lettuce, tomato and mayo, on sourdough toast. Avocaderia What’s the deal? Rotating salads and toasts that will change daily. Mondays will bring a seasonal salad, Tuesdays it
Most booked NYC restaurants
Le Coucou
It’s a scene out of Ratatouille: the open kitchen lined with copper pots and hand-glazed tiles, churning with chefs whose two-foot-high toques blanche...
Crown Shy
Nestled inside 70 Pine Street is a maître d' desk auspiciously stationed in the lobby of a highly sought-after Art Deco building. You might not...
Estela
Here you are at 8pm on a Monday, in a packed restaurant with an hour-and-a-half wait. The fashionably cookie-cutter decor—exposed brick, globe lights,...
Keens Steakhouse
The ceiling and walls are hung with tobacco pipes, some from such long-ago Keens regulars as Babe Ruth, J.P. Morgan and Teddy Roosevelt. Even in these...