The beer list is quite intimidating (it as long as some wine lists) but the friendly bartender will help you out. The Car Bombs are a must and the pig’s head intrigues us. Next time.
Jason Mendenhall, the bar's mixologist, makes his own bitters, preserves and cola—try the San Fran Sprout, made with his soda and fernet-branca, an Italian liqueur. Read more.
Delicious upscale cocktails. Try the Poet’s Dream with orange bitters, gin, dry vermouth and benedictine. You'll be a poet before you know it.
Like a boozy remake of Weird Science, a trio of cocktail geeks have forged their own fantasy babe from scratch. Drink this: Evelyn Rose—gin, hibiscus tea, rose water, Lillet syrup and lemon. Read more.
More than 50 beers by the bottle and 28 on tap. Craft, imported, Trappist. Don't bother asking for Bud Light here. Read more.
The communal tables and wood benches allow you to mingle like a European in this East Village hangout. Know your wine like your ex-pats at the neighboring tables, and order the Bordeaux.
Drinks are about 50% gin, ranging from a eponymous dry martini to an exotic rum punch, while the snacking gets done with crispy fried oysters, chicken tacos and barbecue short rib sliders. Read more.
“As a counterpoint to the abiding masculinity of the pub scene, the owners named the place for Grace O’Malley, the sixteenth-century Irish pirate and folk hero.” Read more.
A standout cocktail is the Great Jones, a blend of Famous Grouse Scotch, Fee's Black Walnut Bitters and maple syrup served neat. Read more.
Really fun (but slightly expensive) cocktails! Try the elderflower sour for a light refresher. Only get rum and root beer if you really like rum...
There is no formal cocktail list, but the bartender asks the type of spirit you like & if you like your drinks sweet, sour, etc. Then he creates a custom cocktail for you.
This beer drinker's haven features 36 drafts, featuring the delicious likes of Barrier Brewing's Oil City Black IPA, Stone Levitation's Pale Ale, and Mikkeller's Beer Geek Breakfast. Read more.
This spot serves more than 70 bourbons and whiskeys (including Utah’s High West Rocky Mountain rye). Our favorite drink is the citrusy punch amped up with chai-infused Wild Turkey and Batavia Arrack ( Read more.
This Murray Hill speakeasy is the sister bar to Little Branch, & is a welcome addition to the sports bar-packed area. Do the Bartender's Choice if you really want to try a different & inventive drink.
We love the tart and refreshing Rangpur gimlet, made with Tanqueray Rangpur gin mixed with homemade lime cordial ($12). Our pick for Best Gin Bar! Read more.
Expensive cocktails served in a hidden speak-easy by men with Civil War beards. The only thing Slightly Off about this place is how Eerily On these guys are. Even the ice cubes are well read. - IFC St
Here the menu changes frequently, bespoke requests are encouraged, and the operation, run by T.J. Lynch and Richard Knapp, is kept down to earth with frozen drinks and cocktails by the pitcher.
From the guys behind Death & Co., including Joaquín Simó, Tales of the Cocktail 2012 American Bartender of the Year. Featuring everything from Tiki riffs to stirred classics, and the service is tops.
Dave Arnold joins the Momofuku team to transform Bar Bar into a lounge slinging perfectly pre-batched Manhattans, drinks made with hot pokers, plenty of liquid nitrogen, and a pork-heavy snack menu.
The 60-foot wall of bourbons (alphabetized for your browsing convenience) is a thing of beauty.
Chill, fun and dark space to enjoy 2-4-1 drinks during happy hour and yummy Cajun bar food – get the fried pickles, dirt fries and gators on horseback.
My absolute favorite bar. They mix the drinks in the old style using different size ice cubes and raw eggs. Bartenders are very experienced and awesome. -Susie Brunet, Launch My Line
If you love whiskey, come here ASAP. The bartender is extremely knowledgable, and can recommend you types if whiskey that you've never had before.
Get an Old Fashioned with Bullet Eye Whiskey and make sure the orange peel is burnt at the end. Crowd can be a bit pretentious and dominantly white but what do you expect from the UES?
This spot uses a wine life-extending dispensing system, so more than 80 global wines typically avail only by the bottle're broken down into 2oz & 5oz pours. Down some w/ the lobster stuffed mushrooms. Read more.
The dim, romantic spot offers a limited cocktail menu, but have no fear; engage the bartender on the topic of amaro or rare whisky, and something special can be tailored to your taste.
Underground cocktails in the East Village by master mixologist Jim Meehan.-Jimmy Bradley , Top Chef
One of the original New Wave of high-end cocktail bars. Hard to go wrong on the menu, but Whiskey Smash -- go light on the simple syrup -- is perhaps the best mint julep in town. [BlackBook] Read more.
Arrive early at this best bar for birthdays to claim to prime barside real estate, and order a round of original cocktails mixed by rascally, white-jacketed gents. Read more.
It took just a few years & some Petraske-schooled barmen to turn the Randolph into a hang of choice for bartenders, booze scribes & other industry insiders. Read more.
Insane cocktails at mad Austrian scientist's lair in Chinatown. Ridiculous showmanship, jaw-dropping presentation. Look for the crowd begging entry under the "Gold Flower Restaurant" sign. [BlackBook] Read more.
An elegant lounge serving a brilliant and extensive range of whiskey and scotch. -Tressa Williams, Launch My Line
Awesome spot for cocktails, esp of the whiskey variety. Lots of seating good for a date or groups, and takes reservations. Live jazz on stage in the back. Get the Kentucky Julep!
The real reason to visit this Scottish gastropub is the whiskeys: the list runs eleven pages, covers the northern islands to Speyside to the bogs of Islay, and includes detailed tasting notes. Read more.
When I think about the sacrifices made by past generations, I'm so very grateful that they were able to create a world where The Whiskey Ward exists
This subterranean spot's only marked by a small plaque & doorbell you must ring to be admitted. Inside you'll find perfectly prepared, fresh-juiced, hand-stirred or shaken classic cocktails & punches. Read more.
While away the afternoon with $3 pints of malty Wells Bombardier—from 3 to 8pm (and 1 to 8pm on weekends), all drinks are half off. Read more.
Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar says "it’s a great stop-in on St Marks that’s been a passed on from friend to friend as a place to grab a drink and talk." Read more.
Try the house gin and tonic, a complex cocktail with little in common with your garden-variety G&T. It’s one of our #100best dishes and drinks of 2011. Read more.
On a calm evening, go for the low-ABV Scottish lager, the pilsner from Kulmbacher. The De Dolle Brouwers' Dulle Teve, 10% ABV, is for a more raucous occasion. Read more.
Amazing cocktails. The Boiler Maker is surprisingly delicious. Great fried chicken, and that biscuit that comes with it was...just wow.
One of my favorite bars in the area. Low key and perfect for post dinner drinks or a date
One of our favorite bars for a low-key drink or a romantic rendezvous with a hefty wine selection and an extensive list of beers!
Get a "bespoke cocktail" tailored to your ill-to-well-informed desires. And make it good, they they'll keep that recipe on file for your return visit. Read more.
The numbered cocktail program keeps up with the crisp bar vibe but adds some color to contemporary concoctions like the No. 7 (Flor de Cana/allspice dram/Carpano Antica/nutmeg). Read more.
A fantastic, constantly-rotating beer selection that runs 20 taps deep. Two casks, too. Keep track of your beer choices to become a member of the "Pony All-American" club. 100 beers gets you a shirt!
Twenty taps dispense craft brews (Barrier, Empire) at this 50-seat beer bar, which is decorated with a white-pine-topped tables, exposed brick and lamps made from growlers. Read more.
Crowned “World’s Best New Cocktail Bar” at a recent major industry event, this joint pours 72 “historically accurate” cocktails (and gallons of communal punch) while the taproom has whiskey and brews.
Food is focused on oysters. There are some snazzy bar bites such as beet tarte tatin and Maine-mussels pot pie. Plenty of quaffable cocktails including gin-based Basil Brush & rum in a Coke bottle Read more.
Proletariat is a much-deserved look into no-holds-barred beer geekdom, blissfully free of TVs, generic pub grub & high-fiving mooks. It holds only 12 stools & its menus have been replaced w/ a QR code Read more.
Located on a former skid row is this gem waiting to be discovered. Crowded, sexy and trendy. This bar style mimics Williamsburg hip. Who knew these folks lived around here? After 8 is a doorman???
Serving Brooklyn Roasting Co coffee daytime, craft beer and food at night, this large attractive West Village spot has pinball machines in the downstairs room. Read more.
Have one of the bartenders pick & mix you a fun cocktail & then sit back & nibble on some French fries w/a side of the horseradish sauce while you take it all in-then exhale & say "wow, this is life!"
A popular haunt for British transplants. While there's a great late-night bar scene, the food is not to be missed. We love the grilled cheese here!
Great for dinner or brunch or even just drinks. We're huge fans of the mushroom pot at dinner, and the BLAT with a fried egg for brunch.
Congratulations, you've found one of Esquire's Best Bars in America. Have a pint of Guinness and a shot of Paddy's at this church-like watering hole. Also, check out the oyster special on Tuesdays. Read more.
Swanky, pricey, dimly-lit, with yummy cocktails. You may lose track of time there - no windows, etc. Drink carefully.
Friendly bartenders, low key atmosphere and very dog friendly. Stay upstairs for a casual drink or go downstairs to dance.
Best beer joint north Union Square! Large and amazing beer selection, fantastic prices, awesome service!
A total hidden gem of a wine bar, great to just chill out and enjoy a glass of wine or beer, whether alone or with company. You can't go wrong if you're in the area.
Impressed with the atmosphere and drinks. Highly recommended. I went with friends but this would also be a good date spot.
The avocado toast was delish as well as the cookies. Frank and Matt are super nice and attentive. Great place to have a bottle of wine and chat with friends.
A swank cocktail den in the heart of the city with a cocktail menu by Julie Reiner that includes fresh fruit & top-notch spices & spirits in original drinks like the Lilikoi & the Hibiscus Swizzle. Read more.
Best new bar in town, in the old Milk & Honey space. There's a new longer bar, no reservation policy and they now serve wine & beer as well as classic cocktails. Great vibe & awesome service!
Try the Green Horny, a carbonated vodka drink bottled in-house, or the Blackheart made from bourbon, maraschino liqueur, orange oils and coffee. Read more.
Good menu of slick tequila and mezcal concoctions like Jacko's End (bonded applejack, mezcal, benedictine, peychaud bitters) with sharable fusion snacks to match. Read more.
Unique vibe + great music + great service. One of my favorite new places in LES.
Great beer and cocktail menu to go with southern inspired noms. Yummy pickles ftw!
Fun loud ambience, great cocktails - try the Old Cuban - but the Croquetas De Jamon were horrendous, inedible.
Down a staircase at the back. You order your cocktails like you order your meatballs! Also, daily jello shots.
This spot takes the drinks-and-a-cut concept to the next level, w/ a 2-seat barber shop up front & behind a sliding door, a cocktail lounge decked w/ leather-cushioned wooden booths & old-school sofas Read more.
Great little date spot or catchup spot... Warm hospitality, Vintage feel and unique spirits make this place a little gem.
It's dark, seductive, romantic, and a gem of a speakeasy. If you're lucky you can snag a seat on a couch.
Incredible classic cocktails in Harlem. Top Mixology, cracked ice, outre concoctions, intimate, amazing.
Beer store with a bar? Beer bar with a store? Whatever the hell it is, this erudite yet unpretentious ode to all things ale beguiled wide-eyed beer novices and grizzled hops nerds alike. Read more.
This once-generic Midtown Irish pub has transformed into a welcoming craft beer bar for the after-work crowd, thanks to a renovation, 24+ tap lines, and a beer-centric food menu.
Craft cocktails by Jeremy Strawn of Mulberry Project and gourmet bar bites by Mexican chef Antelmo Ambrosio. Drinks? Try the "Painting as a Pastime", which uses vodka, pistachio syrup, ginger and lime Read more.
Have a drink at the bar first with the exceptional bartenders and elixirs worth it just to watch him chop the ice
A new cocktail house located right next to Turks & Frogs. Instead of wine & Med cuisine, the menu is a meditation on drinks inspired by the old east-west jaunt. Also has a small menu of food.
Enter through Cipriani on the balcony at Grand Central & you'll feel as if you have entered a bygone era. Drinks are expensive ($15 martini) but the atmosphere is worth it. Reserve a table in advance.
Pitch perfect decor, impeccable cocktail menu, good service. And best of all they serve "high- end" jello-shots! I can already tell this will be my new favorite bar.
Stake out a leather armchair on the weekends: From 4 to 8pm daily, well drinks and beers (including the $6 house ale) come with a wood coin that can be cashed in for another drink. Read more.
Enjoy an awesome selection of beers from all over the world at this Harlem hot spot – it gets crowded. Try their Bratwurst, Bier Steak Burger or Continental Board.
The best dive bar in NYC is filled with regulars making efficient use of the low prices. The owners have banished TVs to promote friendly banter and there’s always the jukebox to keep you company. Read more.
A ba/restaurant has operated here more or less continuously since the 1880s and the old fixtures are still present, even though the current manifestation opened in 1987.
Sip on the smoky sueño vida or a minty derby shrub while munching on the complimentary cumin-dusted popcorn, or an order of the crispy duck breast atop a waffle. New location should have no problem.
“The aesthetic of the two-and-a-half-level enterprise (including a basement piano bar) is speakeasy-meets-farmhouse chic, all wood and marble and romantic lighting.” Read more.
One of my fave feel good spots - great music, great food, great drinks, and last but definitely not least.. great staff
Bourbon/beer/rock spot Idle Hands Bar is set to open any day now in a basement under Billy Hurricane's. Doing the devil's work are approximately 70 bourbons plus a beer list. Read more.
A very small and cozy bar with a great selection of scotches and awesome bartenders. Make sure you check out the back, and snag one of the very comfortable leather club chairs.
This LES beer shop and taproom offers 20 beers on tap (including, strangely, Budweiser) for pints and growlers, plus an extensive selection of American and European beers cold and ready to take home.
Patrick Donagher has done it again. 30 rotating tap lines at two bars, growler fills, well-executed food, and a big backyard. Grab an NY brew ($5 from 11-7) and marvel at the bad-ass draft system.
Owner Matthew Gebhard offers local beers like Barrier Evil Giant and Radiant Pig Junior IPA. The food menu features paninis, meat and cheese plates and a soft pretzel. Read more.
This three-floor ode to Oaxacan culture features a top level art gallery, subterranean cinema/music venue, and a street level festive mescaleria. Read more.
The Chelsea saloon, partly owned by Perfect Storm author Sebastian Junger, is where the art world congregates for beers and shots after a hard day of gallery hopping. (Try the turkey burger!)
For most of the past decade, this was the only brewpub in New York. It's still the most scenic: go here in the evening and have a house-made brew while you watch the sun set over the Hudson.
The West Village outpost of Bar and Books has a posh selection of literature, an astute whiskey menu, and a long list of cigars. Celebrities stop in from time to time to enjoy a 60-year-old scotch.
Cocktails march on inexorably a la the classics, a few originals, and rum concoctions like Mojitos and Mai Tais made with top shelf booze.
The latest bar from the folks behind the Mulberry Project and the Vinatta Project, with cocktails from John McCarthy.
My favorite showy evening spot. Amazing whiskey selection. Elegant environment and a nice view. -Jacqueline Lombard, Top Chef
Excellent cocktails and small plates in inventive forms, as much a bumping bar as a restaurant.
great food, amazing drinks (especially gin!), best bartenders and owners in the city. new place - highly recommend!!
Underground sake bar and Japanese tapas (izakaya). Dark and intimate. Love this place. Claire and my first date. -Francine, The Real L Word
Smith & Mills is one of my favorite places in the city. Better to go earlier in the evening (or on a weekend or on an off-night). Otherwise, the tiny spot is packed+loses charm
A cold-smoked scallop pairs with pear, cucumber, sea beans + black garlic, while New Zealand red doe gets juniper + fennel. – Green Guide Editor
It's all about refined comfort here. Think macaroni with grana padano or shrimp and grits with chow chow relish. Read more.
Made our Favorite 5 thanks to its no-frills memorabilia'd digs, regular free eats (Sunday bagel bar, Friday night pizza) and rotating roster of seriously interesting brews. Read more.
The Intelligentsia espresso needs a little work, but from 11am-4pm, before it turns into a bar, there's free wifi and good snacks, pastries & savory food.
Church Publick brought some heavy-duty beer game, and has managed to avoid being a complete douche-magnet, for now. Enjoy it while you can.
Check the draft list for “of the moment” beers, like Bell’s Smitten, a delicious “Golden Rye.”
Just opened to great fanfare from owners of Death and Co. Supposedly is where other mixologists go to drink.
“Unlike other bars on the block, this one is devoid of televisions and brand swag. It feels both experimental and trapped in time.” Read more.
Past that double door on the left, there’s a stunning room full of dark woods, plush leather sofas and a roaring fake fireplace. In this room, you might notice some people holding pint glasses
Try the Ivan Drago - it's basically a dark and stormy but with a 80's iron curtain kick of ginger.
Absolutely fantastic new gem on the UES. Beautiful cocktails and ambience and the bartenders were super friendly and welcoming. This may be a new regular spot for us.
The "Coffee" cocktail is made with two types of aged rum, creme de cacao, Campari, and a touch of Toby's Estate coffee, and it's served in a fancy porcelain teacup. Try the rum-based "Coconut" drink.
This dog-themed FiDi spot boasts 20 craft beers on tap, hot dogs from Brooklyn's Mile End, and a patio out on Stone Street for the warmer months. Downtown ain't no beer desert these days!
Beer and wine bar with a nice vermouth selection and a small kitchen turning out bar snacks like falafel and fish and chips. Open late on prime nights.
At The Daily, a bar from AvroKO and the Saxon + Parole chef, six cocktails (categorized: stirred & down, frothy, bubbly, martini, long, bottled) and seven snacks are in one day, out the next Read more.
Beverages, by the Contemporary Cocktails team, touch down in the Americas, French Polynesia, Africa, & Asia for high-minded sips like Bang the Drum, Code Noir & the Halong Bay Cooler.
Barman Miguel Aranda “revels in the unexpected, mixing whiskey with powdery Japanese matcha tea or adding lemongrass to frothy egg whites for a variant of the Ramos Gin Fizz.” Read more.
My favorite cocktail bar in the city. Go off menu and let the bartenders convoy something special for you. Also try the brussels sprouts - they're wonderful.
Great low key bar. Bartenders Chris and Lee are fantastic! Great selection of beers and wines also. Very reasonably priced and great vibe.
The drinks are the best in the city. Try the Aviation, midnight Tryst or the Spicy Paloma for something unique and tasty.
This lower east side staple might be dreary from the front, but inside is a covered garden and often, customers with their adorable pet dogs. Read more.
The craft beer options seem standard here, until you check the seasonal beer menus on the walls, which has recently boasted surprises like Sixpoint Signal, Brooklyn Black Ops, and Ommegang Seduction.
If it's too crowded upstairs, you can try the basement where there's a smaller second bar (stairs by the entrance). But sorry, it's probs pretty crowded downstairs too.
Easily my favorite place for a casual yet quality cocktail and some late night bites. Packed with people meeting up for drinks. Saw Vera Wang last time. Bring a date or a good friend. Get fries.
This dive bar reopened in September with a signature speakeasy transformation. There's also an entire menu dedicated to classic shot-and-a-beer combinations and plenty of daquiri options. Read more.
The lush life is delicious and comes overflowing with crushed ice! Great scallops appetizer too!
a favorite in TriBeCa: the upstairs is l perfect for a weekend afternoon stop. wifi: tinyfree1 / tinyfree.
Drinks match a 4-strong meat menu cheese including a housemade ricotta, salads, & Italian sandwiches. Try the Balboa - mortadella, soppresseta, speck, cacio di roma, dijonnaise, and pepper relish.
Newcomer Cedar Local is playing around with vodka, using Big Cat-saving Snow Leopard vodka to make a complex, off-beat drink called Elevated Outcrop. It's not for the faint of heart! Read more.
A sports bar owned by a sport's star. It just doesn't get better than that. Read more.
Shots & beers come full circle at this cocktail bar. Order the fantastic Uncle Jalapeno ($10) tap cocktail, a mouth-searing blend of blanco tequila, jalapeno and Prince Robot's pineapple soda. Read more.
Beautiful, clean space. Old fashioned was impeccable. They also served a very unique and delicious drink called the Matahari (cognac/chai vermouth?/lemon/pomegranate).
Order the oddball "St. Feuillien Triple 9L Salmanazar" aka the "largest beer bottle in the world". Read more.
Find this new hidden cocktail bar by stepping into The Growler and heading downstairs to the basement. Worth the trip.
The new, improved, and (much) larger Mission Chinese made a huge leap forward with the addition of one of the city's best -- and most thrillingly outside-the-box -- cocktail programs.
Calm late night, considering they just opened. Same guys behind the Gilroy. Closest thing you're going to find to the Dead Rabbit, FiDi. Order the penicillin, not on the cocktail list-but trust.
On the first visit, it felt like I'd been coming here for years. Great atmosphere, great food and drinks. And the best example of southern hospitality anywhere!
Boozy creative cocktails with a strong bourbon and scotch leaning menu. A welcome reprieve from the madness of Macdougal street. The Nampara Cove was an old fashioned riff with pisco and scotch mist.
It used to host luminaries such as William Burroughs and Alan Ginsberg. And punks. And drunks and junkies and college kids and down on their luck drinkers who came for 50 cent beers.
Delicious (strong) cocktails in a nice space. Great for a date or catch up with a friend. The menu is seasonal and printed beautifully, based on spices. Solid EV cocktail addition near Ave C.
A second venture from the Wayland people. -20% ambiance, +30% location. Better than other bars on its block, give it a try.
