Don’t leave this bar without ordering The Slice of Heaven. Only available for a half hour starting every Saturday night around 2:30 a.m., deep friend bacon and a shot of your choice. Nuff said, right?
This sprawling bar has themed rooms: the library, the arcade, and so on, and feels just like a good old game of Clue. They have great beers, and great mini-pastrami sandwiches. See you in the library?
Ever been to the catacombs? This is like it, but better—there’s beer. You enter into a dim, tomb-like underground. The beers are imported and largely monk-made. Ask for a Trappist recommendation.
It’s as close as you can get to nature in New York City—dead forest creatures around the walls at Freeman’s. If you can find the hidden door, try a few drinks—they’re fantastic—and so is the meat.
I am not a rich or dangerous man. But if I were, I'd sit in the plush, red nook of this Scottish bar, past the portraits of kilted Scots in wartime victory. Try the grapefruit and vodka hand squeezed.
Once a Laundromat, the low-key crowd and decent wine list make this the perfect place to chat. With no laundry going on, you don’t have to show off your ratty underwear until later. If you’re lucky.
Don’t be misled by the name. It’s called Dive because it’s aquatic themed, and well, because honestly it’s 75% dive beer. Great beer selection, and a rare Upper West Side bar with character.
If you have the energy to close out a night right, this is the place to do it. They filmed some of Crocodile Dundee and Godfather II here, to give you a sense of its grand tattered quality.
It’s a jazz joint with real palm trees and amazing cocktails, made by a legend in the mixed-drink world. It may look a little pretentious, but you can’t deny the truth: the drinks are good. That good.
There’s no standing room here. Only groups of four or less are served. If there’s horseplay, they toss you out. Sound crazy? At this place, unmarked and hidden in a Japanese restaurant, it just works.
This place’s happy hour laughs in the face of the word “hour”—it runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Beers are $3 (and PBR is $2), one of the best bargains in New York City. Can’t beat that.
Heaven: sitting in a darkened, romantic bar that looks pre-Prohibition, sipping smart concoctions made by smart barkeeps, making this place heaven on earth.
It used to be a horse stable, and the bathroom is an old elevator. Ship plans hang on the walls. The vintage cocktails are strong. Order a Negroni, like a fisherman would do after a big day's catch.
You’ve got to be crazy to stand out in New York. Near fanatical. Like this place is about their beer—draught, aged, vintage, cask. Luckily the help on hand can keep you sane while you try to order.
One drink here and you might be ready to move to Mexico, learn Spanish, and resettle. They serve pork belly and steak, and you can drink tequila underneath a huge tarantula-shaped chandelier.
Finally, a bar for the hockey fans. Run by Sean Avery, this place is like a love letter to the game. It feels just like a post-game locker room, if locker rooms had tabletop video games.
The vague name has beer geeks in the outdoor garden arguing about it means. One thing that’s certain? They have damn good beer—350 bottles and 16 taps worth.
For a taste of the hot and savory, try the London-style Indian food from Brick Lane Curry House in the trendy East Village.
LOVE the atmosphere in this charming spot. And the food is incredible. One of my faves in all of NYC.
Excellent setting for some after-work drinks by a cozy fireplace (in winter), and a decent setting to pretend to work on your laptop during the day.
The East Village classic brunch. Excellent pancakes, Dutch-style (crunchy edges, fluffy middle with in season fruit). Good value steak and eggs and sausages and oysters. Don't forget the bloody marys!
Boomer special was great. I can see why they are known for their pancakes. Blueberry was awesome. Really cozy home atmosphere. #nom #nyc
Food is on-point, especially the sisig and the pork adobo. Seats are close to each other, so get ready to get cozy!
The famous lobster roll at this West Village oyster bar is heavy on the lemony mayonnaise (and the price tag). But it's made with huge chunks of fresh lobster meat and paired with shoestring fries. Read more.
