The best outdoor bars in NYC

What is it? Smith Stree’s tiki bar, holding it down since 2002. They’ve got the stuff you’re looking for: a bamboo bar, thatched roof, and a backyard strung with lights.

Why we love it: There’s nothing more perfect for warm weather than a tiki drink. Fruity, fun, and boozy. We love Zombie Hut because it keeps it so very real with cheap, strong, delicious drinks and a great sense of humor. This place knows exactly what it is: fun. The backyard has cornhole and board games, and you can bring food in if you want. In a neighborhood that stares harder at its navel every year, Zombie Hut is a reminder that a life well lived doesn’t preclude silly fun.

Time Out tip: The Frozen Zombie is so good. And it’ll put you on your ass. Don’t wait until you’re already drunk to order it.

Address: 273 Smith St, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn 11231

Opening hours: Mon–Thu 4pm–1am; Fri–Sat 1pm–2am; Sun 1pm–1am

Expect to pay: $9–14/cocktail

What is it? A New Orleans-style oyster bar and cocktail den on Bedford Avenue. They make this list because their beautiful garden patio is open through three seasons. 

Why we love it: Maison Premiere has been written about plenty, including by yours truly. It’s great. But what’s not talked about as much is the garden experience–a genuinely beautiful place to drink. Bedford Avenue has swallowed a lot of places into the void of used-to-be. Maison Premiere keeps rocking. Maybe it’s because their absinthe program is one of the largest in the country. Maybe it’s the more than thirty oyster varieties rotating through the raw bar. Maybe it’s their impeccable martinis. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it.

Time Out tip: The garden fills WAY faster than the indoor bar. If you want to be outside, make a reservation specifically for it. Happy hour draws a line before it begins.

Address: 298 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Opening hours: Mon–Fri noon–1am; Sat 10am–2am; Sun 10am–1am

Expect to pay: ~$9–12/beer; ~$15–18/glass of wine; ~$18–22/cocktail

What is it? A cash-only dive in Red Hook with a large backyard.

Why we love it: Ice House is beloved for a lot of good reasons. It’s a terrific dive bar, they’ve got unexpectedly good food for not a lot of money, and their backyard is pretty spacious with a whole mess of picnic table seating. The staff here is also super friendly, but not in a disingenuous or overbearing way. If you’ve never had the pleasure of spending a day eating and drinking your way through Redhook, the sun-splashed back yard of Ice House is the perfect place to begin and/or end it.

Time Out tip: Cash only, no exceptions. The $5 pulled-pork sandwich is unbeatable, and two for $8 is damn-near miraculous. Send a member of your party into the backyard to stake out a table while you order. 

Address: 318 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Opening hours: Daily noon-4am

Expect to pay: ~$5–7/beer;  ~$6/beerXshot combo; ~$3-14/plate of food

What is it? A natural wine bar on Marcus Garvey Boulevard with a tree-canopied backyard patio. It’s, more or less, the perfect version of this kind of establishment. Super cute, relaxed, unpretentious.

Why we love it: I say “Natural wine bar in Brooklyn,” and you think: precious BS for Connecticut transplants. Frog is NOT that. It’s got a neighborhood feel with a pool table, darts, reasonable prices, and food pop-ups to keep you intrigued. On a warm night, this backyard makes you remember why you moved to Brooklyn in the first place. 

Time Out tip: The pop-up rotation changes, so check their social media account before going if eating is part of the plan, which it should be. The backyard is open late on weekends.

Address: 358 Marcus Garvey Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11221

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 5pm–midnight; Sat, Sun 3pm–midnight

Expect to pay: ~$8–10/beer; ~$15/glass of wine

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What is it? A cocktail bar on Fulton Street. They’ve got a large collection of vintage LPs, DJs almost nightly, rotating food pop-ups, and a big, nice backyard. 

Why we love it: Doris feels rock solid, steady and doing its thing regardless of whatever else is happening on Fulton Street. It feels great in here. The vinyl collection behind the bar is the kind that gets you asking the bartender questions, and these people know their stuff. The drinks are well-made, the food stays exciting owing to the rotation of pop-ups, and the backyard is very pretty with a ton of greenery.

Time Out tip: For the quieter backyard experience, Monday through Wednesday is the play.

Address: 1088 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Opening hours: Mon–Wed 5pm–1am; Thu 5pm–2am; Fri 5pm–3am; Sat 4pm–3am; Sun 4pm–1am

Expect to pay: ~$4-10/beer; ~$10-14/cocktail; ~8-11/grilled cheese

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What is it? A Bushwick neighborhood bar steps from the DeKalb L. 

Why we love it: LHP exists in the evermore popular liminal space of cocktail bar and dive. This is a place that recognizes everyone of the dive-bar persuasion who doesn’t want to slam beer-and-shot combos. Scruffy persons with ripped jeans and Black Flag tattoos are liable to love a well-made cocktail, too!  The interior has the feel of a ski chalet or a boat’s lower decks. That’s cool, but the backyard is the reason to come in warmer months.

Time Out tip: The Silver Negroni is the order. Don't overthink it.

Address: 89 Wyckoff Ave, Bushwick, Brooklyn 11237

Opening hours: Mon–Thu & Sun 5pm–2am; Fri–Sat 5pm–3am

Expect to pay: ~$8/beer; ~$12–14/cocktail

What is it? This Grand Street bar is inside the defunct Vasikauskas storefront. It’s fun and different than anything else in the neighborhood, with a pool table, Spanish food including tapas, and a beautiful backyard.

Why we love it: Happy hour here is inexpensive by Williamsburg standards, which deserves to be said plainly so it’s well understood. They’ve got beer, natural wine, cocktails, tasty food–what more can you want? This place is doing its own damn thing rather than pandering to a specific demographic. That means it has real character. The back yard has a secret garden thing going on—whimsy, I suppose.

Time Out tip: The door to the back yard says "private." It’s not. Walk on through it.

Address: 279 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Opening hours: Sun–Thu 5pm–2am; Fri–Sat 5pm–4am

Expect to pay: ~$6–9/beer; ~$12-14/cocktail; ~$11–17/glass of wine

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What is it? After a nomadic infancy, wine bar Rude Mouth found a permanent home in the old Spuyten Duyvil space on Metropolitan Avenue. This place is the dream project of a former cellarmaster at The Four Horsemen and offers something almost no other does: respect for patrons’ subjectivity.

Why we love it: Rude Mouth was conceived as a corrective to snootiness. Here, you don’t have to feel like passing some sort of test in order to be allowed to enjoy something. You can taste before committing to a whole glass, so the pressure is off. The back yard is pretty, understated, tree-shaded with long communal tables and some more private two-tops if you’re in date mode. If you’ve ever wanted to get more into low-intervention wine without high-intervention from the LCD snob system, this is it. 

Time Out tip: Go on a weeknight if you’re trying to get into the nitty gritty–you can actually take the time to talk to whoever's pouring.

Address: 359 Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211

Opening hours: Mon 5pm–10pm; Tue–Fri 5pm–midnight; Sat 3pm–midnight

Expect to pay: ~$15/glass of wine

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What is it? A fully outdoor bar and restaurant inside Riverside Park at 105th Street on the Hudson. In addition to beer, cocktails and wine, there’s a simple but effective food menu: bar bites, burgers, pizzas, steaks, among other items.

Why we love it: This is a public park with a bar. Or a bar in a public park. Whatever. It’s not exactly the place for you to rip it up, but it’s pretty and a nice locale. The crowd is local UWS but not exactly the kind you’re picturing–there’s a diverse mix of people and backgrounds. There’s an upper-level bar and lower-level seating. I used to frequent this precise location in high school to *ahem* hang out with my friends who lived nearby–it was one of our perfect, secret spots. It’s got more going on now, but I can still say with authority: it’s a tad scrappy, but on a warm evening you’ll scarcely find a better place to relax with a drink. 

Time Out tip: The space is completely exposed to the elements, so the weather is a very real consideration. Check the forecast before you make plans. And it’s on the river, so bring a jacket.

Address: Inside Riverside Park at 105th St, New York, NY 10025 

Opening hours: Daily 11am–11pm

Expect to pay: ~$13-14/cocktail; ~$8-9/beer; ~$12-14/glass of wine; ~$7-28/plate of food

What is it? A big red boat moored at Pier 66 on the Hudson operates as a seasonal bar/grill. This is not a purpose-made party boat; it’s a sturdy ol’ tub living out a classy second act. There is a second Frying pan in Industry City, but it’s just a boat-themed bar. We’re talking about the real boat. I’ll stop saying ‘boat’ now.

Why we love it: You’re not gonna get a better view of the Hudson and a sunset over picturesque New Jersey. All joking aside, the experience here, while comparatively pricey, is legitimately cool and, under the right conditions, verges on glorious. You can watch vessels laze on the water, smell the tidal-estuary brine, and sip something boozy. Walk in if you’re feeling lucky, but you’d be nuts not to get a reservation. Got an occasion? Make your res yesterday. They fill up.

Time Out tip: Bring a jacket. Not optional. Go in the early evening on a weekday to walk in without a fuss. And you can save yourself some pain by eating before you get here. Not that the food isn’t good, it just comes at a premium. Check the forecast and social media before going–weather shuts the whole thing down without warning.

Address: Pier 66, West 26th St at the Hudson River, Manhattan, 11232

Opening hours: Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30am–9pm; Fri, Sat 11:30am–10pm

Expect to pay: (Pre-season) ~$16-18/cocktail; ~$7-12/beer; ~$13-16/glass of wine, $47-59/bottle of wine; ~$16-37/plate of food

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What is it? A big second-story rooftop wine bar in Bushwick. 

Why we love it: This place’s vision is clear: it’s not a restaurant, barry bar, or a gastro-whatever—it’s a place to drink natural wines in a leisurely, Parisian mode. It’s owned by an illustrator, so the place is aesthetically very put-together, very cute, very, very. They’ve got some snacks–tasty accompaniments like pickled veg, smoked fish, and cheese to nibble alongside your wine, but don’t expect to eat a full-fledged meal here. The rooftop is quite sizeable, but when it’s nice outside, it’ll fill up.

Time Out tip: Part of this place’s vision is friendly service, so feel free to ask the staff for guidance. Downstairs, there’s happy hour from Monday through Friday, 5-7pm, and 2-5pm on weekends, when you can get select wines at a discount.

Address: 379 Suydam St, Brooklyn, NY, 11237

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 5pm–midnight; Sat, Sun 2pm-midnight

Expect to pay: ~$5-8/beer; ~$12-16/glass of wine; ~$40-55/bottle fo wine

What is it? An annex/sister establishment to Ringolevio. More than anything else, FourFiveSix is a place to hang out. Dinner, a show, drinks–they’re trying to cover the bases. And they’ve got a huge backyard.

Why we love it: It’s got unique Bohemian vibes and refuses to be hemmed in by definitions. They offer handmade pasta, burgers, pie, cocktails, wine, and beer. It’s got a loungey thing going on inside and then a whole mess of outdoor seating outside. Live jazz, reading clubs, art shows—it’s all kinds of wild, but it works.

Time Out tip: This is the kind of place one can totally plan an evening around. They’ve got good food, tasty cocktails, and shows. But if you don’t want any of that, there are enough options and space to avoid it.

Address: 199 Richardson St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Opening hours: Daily 8am–2am

Expect to pay: ~$8-9/beer; ~$15-16/cocktail; ~$15/glass of wine, ~$58/bottle of wine; ~$17-22/plate of food

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What is it? A friendly Williamsburg bar with an ivy-covered backyard.

Why we love it: Blinky’s bills itself as a cocktail pub and we’d say that’s accurate. It’s vibey inside but retains that pub feel and they know how to put together a potent mix. It’s not huge inside, but the backyard is quite sizeable with a whole mess of seating. They do food popups with local chefs and that’s always a hoot.

Time Out tip: There’s a ton of programming here and not just on the weekends. SpongeBob Trivia, comedy, DJs—check their site for an up-to-date schedule.

Address: 609 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Opening hours: Mon–Thu 4pm–2am; Fri 4pm–4am; Sat, Sun 2pm–4am

Expect to Pay: ~$15/house cocktail;  ~$6/beerXshot combo; ~$9/draft beer; ~$13/glass of wine

What is it? The rooftop bar on the 22nd floor of the William Vale hotel in Williamsburg has a massive outdoor terrace and 360-degree views.

Why we love it: There’s nothing quite like perspective to make you appreciate living in this city. Whether that’s literal or metaphorical, at Westlight, you’ll find both. Drinking expensive cocktails on the rooftop here gives a glimpse into the tony high-rise, penthouse kind of life very few get to lead and it lets you see the city as the birds do–a forest of concrete and light. The terrace here is huge. That doesn’t mean it can’t feel crowded–count on that when the weather turns. But, if only once and only for the skyline view with a drink in hand, this place is worth a visit.

Time Out tip: Arrive early enough to catch the sunset behind the city. Leave before the crowd shows up.

Address: 111 N 12th St, 22nd Floor, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 11249

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 4pm–midnight; Sat–Sun noon–midnight

Expect to pay: ~$19–24/cocktail; ~$11/beer; ~$19-35/glass of wine, ~$76-850+/bottle; ~$16-32/plate of food

What is it? A sprawling waterfront bar at the South Street Seaport.

Why we love it: Is it a tourist trap? Yes. Is it an overtly corporate entity? Yes. Does it fill up with workshirts and finbros at EOB? Yes. So why recommend it? This place offers what virtually no outdoor bar in this city can: a true spectacle. And we’re not talking about their painfully contrived programming and themes. The view of Brooklyn Heights, the East River, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges is just stunning.

Time Out tip:  They do a lot of overbearing, overproduction here, which appeals specifically to a crowd who don’t know how to find fun unless it’s curated. If you don’t want to get caught up in all of that and would rather, I don’t know, enjoy your visit, check the site to avoid.

Address: 78 South St, Pier 15, Financial District, 10038

Opening hours: Mon–Fri 4pm–11pm; Sat, Sun noon–11pm

Expect to pay: ~$16–35/cocktail, including large formats; ~$15-17/glass of wine; ~$10/beer