Milano’s Bar

Milano’s has been around since the 1800s. The place doesn’t wear its bonafides like so many others struggling against time’s current or surfing its waves to relevance. No, Milano’s just is—a steady ship that, despite a crack here and leak there, sails true. To quote its own website, Milano’s is the quintessential New York dive bar. This is inarguable. A little odd, a little musty, inexpensive by neighborhood standards; they don’t serve food, they don’t host music, they don’t make anything with matcha or protein. It’s narrow and long and dark; the walls are covered in photos of people you don’t know, and the bathrooms offer less than total privacy. Nobody who loves the place cares and nobody who cares will love the place. This is an establishment wholly without pretense—a room where anyone and everyone can feel comfortable if they relax. Due to its bottleneck and the scant seating in back, you’re probably not going to find Milano’s conducive to a big group hang. But you won’t find a better place to go with a friend or two, or a date if they’re into a beer/shot combo kind of evening.