16 Best Bars in New York City, New York

Not just the local Irish pub for the college kids attending nearby Manhattan College, this Riverdale institution of over three decades is a hybrid of an Irish bar, restaurant, gallery, and performance space for local and Irish poets, musicians, and thespians. Named after the satire by Flann O'Brien, which translates to "the poor mouth," this congenial pub adorned with old-timey Irish paraphernalia and portraits of great Irish writers is where you can wash down bangers and mash with a pint of Guinness, all while watching a theatrical stage reading or an Irish jig being performed.

Amid music-theme murals by Marcel Vertès, the hotel's discreetly sophisticated supper club, Café Carlyle, hosts such top cabaret and jazz performers as Alan Cumming, Christine Ebersole, Judy Collins, Jon Batiste, John Pizzarelli, Steve Tyrell, and comedians Mario Cantone and Tony Danza. The less fancy-schmancy (though still pricey) Bemelmans Bar features performances by a rotating cast of pianists and singers.

Bemelmans also is known for its wall murals and lampshades. They were painted by the author of the Madeline books, who is said to have traded the artwork for lodging. Bemelmans features solo performers every Tuesday to Saturday and a jazz trio from Thursday to Sunday; cover charges range from $10 to $35. Both nightspots feature old-fashioned cocktails and trendy, new-fashioned ones, as well as luxurious food options such as roasted pumpkin risotto and caviar. Chic attire only (no active sportswear permitted in either one).

This award-winning brewery shines in crafting brews across the whole beer and ale spectrum, especially IPAs and sours. However, they're now also partnered with Physica, a sister wine program of local, natural wines. In addition to their already sprawling taproom that's adjacent to their tanks and barrels, is a large outdoor-indoor rooftop space, where you can use your beer or wine to wash down slices of New Haven--style pies from La La’s Apizza.

Perched atop the Arlo Williamsburg, overlooking its rooftop pool, this ambitious bar serves inventive albeit pricey cocktails, and is one of four party venues within the hotel. Not actually one of New York’s iconic, functioning water towers, but rather a conical glass structure made in tribute to them, the bar attracts both scenesters and those just coming to take a selfie with its jaw-dropping view of the Manhattan skyline.

New Yorkers love a speakeasy. Hidden behind a clandestine door inside jewel box–size Stone Street Coffee, 1920s-esque Bathtub Gin is a dark, brooding yet sleek spot for elevated and creative libations using unlikely ingredients like quail eggs, salt-and-vinegar potato chips, and graham crackers. Not surprisingly, the bar stocks an impressive array of gin, but cocktails are also made with rum, vodka, whisky, and other spirits. There's a food menu of bar bites like chicken sliders and charcuterie.

This sprawling space, with its own taproom and backyard, is as good a sign as any that the Bronx’s time has finally come. It's a true local gathering place—one that brings in DJs, hosts basketball tournaments, and acts as a home base for the Bronx-founded Empanology, serving innovative empanadas, sandwiches, and pizza. The expansive list of beers created in-house include a mix of year-round and seasonal. They've since opened locations in Manhattan's East Village and Hudson Yards.

This brewery resurrected the borough's once-active craft beer scene when it opened in a former matzo factory in 1996. There are free tours on Sunday, while weekday Small Batch Tours offer an in-depth look and a chance to try and give feedback on new experimental beers. Tap offerings in its sizable, congenial taproom include their signature Brooklyn Lager and crowd favorite Pulp Art Hazy IPA.

It's a restaurant. It's a bar. It's a winery. But above all the newish location of City Winery at Pier 57 is a music venue, attracting top-notch artists and comedians. The 350-seat auditorium is an intimate spot to catch a show. Singer Rufus Wainwright, comedian John Mulaney, and musician Norah Jones have graced the stage. Even the late, great Prince put on unannounced shows at City Winery. The in-house eatery serves everything from burgers to seafood to flatbreads, and the bar has 12 different wines on tap.

At this intimate supper club, an integral part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, you can enjoy jazz, dinner, and drinks along with stellar views of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park. The food is hearty and Southern-inflected (catfish po'boy, gumbo), but the top-notch music provides the main attraction. There are two sets; the late-night sessions are ideal for after-dinner nightcaps of classic drinks with new twists. Tickets start at $20, and there is a $21 minimum food and beverage order per person, per set.

With its Art Deco light fixtures, marble-top tables, and cute leather banquettes, this cocktail bar elevates itself from a neighborhood hangout to a destination. Here, sample creative concoctions based on the classics. While charcuterie boards are available, the spicy PB&J on the snack menu surprisingly pairs nicely with their take on the espresso martini.

It may have all the fixings of a typical sports bar, but this spunky spot with striped wallpaper and black-and-white photos of sports stars on the corner of 120th Street is far from average. If you want to meet some Harlem locals, this is your spot. Grab a seat at the bar while enjoying delicious small bites, beer on tap (plus weekly happy hour), and high-quality cocktails. Try the $10 happy hour margaritas and Moscow mules, naturally best paired with the organic chicken wings (which can also be prepared vegan). You catch local and international sports games here, anything from Mongolian archery to rugby, on one of the 12 flat screens around the bar. 

Launched by three graduates of Historically Black Colleges, this cozy pub is Manhattan's first 100% African American--owned craft beer bar. Bites on the casual menu include a Bavarian soft pretzel, jerk chicken and vegan bratwurst sausages, and a variety of spicy guma pies (similar to a flaky samosa or empanada). Everything pairs well with an accessible selection of innovative small-batch beers. They can also be found at Market 57 in Chelsea.

New York Comedy Club revamped and rebranded this former Stand Up New York club in 2024 to make room for laughs on the Upper West Side, their third location in Manhattan. Head to this low-key club that lends a stage to both aspiring comedians and veteran comics who pop in to polish their material. Catch a preshow drink in the front bar, then join the laughter in the back room for the price of a ticket (from $39 online) plus a $20 drink minimum. FYI to parents: the comedy showroom is open to guests 16 and up, as long as those under 18 are with a guardian. 

Think of Nowadays as a music venue with a conscience. This sprawling, indoor-outdoor space with fire pits and hammocks lies on the border between two neighborhoods (Bushwick and Ridgewood) in two boroughs (Brooklyn and Queens), and is up for just about anything. By day, people may enjoy a DJ set while picnicking with food trucks, but nights bring forth vivacious "Nonstop" parties with resident and guest DJs. The Zumbador, a Mexican restaurant on the premises, serves dinner Thursday–Sunday.

At this Southern-inflected bar you can have your cocktails and eat your fried oysters and smoked cheddar biscuits, too. Located in far West Chelsea (a short walk from the 7 line's 34th Street–Hudson Yards subway station), this relaxed watering hole from New York restaurateur and hospitality king Danny Meyer is an intimate space to quaff and nibble the night away. The bar also offers a nice happy hour with discounted signature cocktails from 3 to 7 pm.

It can be boisterous at this sprawling beer hall, where plenty of communal tables foster a convivial atmosphere—and the occasional dancing on tables. The European beers on tap wash down hearty foods like schnitzel, goulash, and giant pretzels from the kitchen, or brats and currywurst from the grill. There's live music on weekends, for the afternoon and nighttime crowds.