8 Fresh Bars to Check Out in New York City
Some may argue family or church, but the bar, plain and simple, is society’s single-most vital institution. It’s at once a cornerstone of democracy (from where George Washington bid farewell to his troops at New York’s Frances Tavern to the Stonewall Riots of 1969), unfettered belligerence, party-down fun, and sometimes a bathroom stall quickie. Saloons, taverns, dives, pubs, beer gardens, cocktail lounges, clubs, cantinas, speakeasies: Each unique in its nuances, each operates with the same noble objective. Speaking of the speakeasy, alcohol was considered a panacea by Puritans and degenerates alike up until the mid- 19th century, when reform parties labeled it a vice that threatened to claim your soul. But don’t think Prohibition – that other prohibition – was just the result of some moral dilemma. Much like the criminalization of cannabis, money was a major motivator (once the 16th Amendment, aka The Federal Income Tax, went into motion in 1913, the government stopped making money off the booze industry).
The mere nature of a bar catalyzes conversation and accelerates relationships – and sometimes plenty of trouble. Those are all good things. In the spirit of celebrating the bar, now that it’s high season for public revelry, here are eight fresh New York bars that make the hangover worth it. Alternatively, if you’re more about going back in time, McSorley’s Old Ale House in the East Village has barely changed in the last 100 years.
1. Mr. Purple at Hotel Indigo – Lower East Side
180 Orchard Street, 15th Floor
New hot spots and hotels continue to pop up around the Lower East Side, though it’s Hotel Indigo’s rooftop venue that’s receiving the most love. That’s because it’s huge, at least for the neighborhood, with satisfying 15th-floor views, courtesy of floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as two terraces and a small swimming pool. Named after neighborhood artist Adam Purple, they’ve imparted a well-rounded bar menu, craft beers, gelato, and small-batch liquors among their offerings.
Perfect for: Rolling with a big group or throwing a private party
Try: Mr. Purple, with Casamigos Reposado Tequila, cranberry liqueur, Allspice Dram, apple, and lemon, served punch-style
2. The Bennett – Tribeca
134 West Broadway
Plush and private: That’s what the owners of The Raines Law Room and Dear Irving are going for with their latest venture, and they’ve succeeded, thanks to sumptuous navy banquettes and thoughtful lighting, a wide selection of aged spirits, and the luxury of call buttons at each table so you won’t be bothered unless you want service. That means this place is perfect for some low-key canoodling or perhaps more illicit behavior. To show their dedication to cocktails, the food menu is labeled with overt simplicity, divided into categories like Meat, Dairy, and Deep-Fried.
Perfect for: A date with someone you’re actually into
Try: Reverse Monarch, with gin, blanc vermouth, and cucumber shrub
3. Sexy Taco/Dirty Cash – Harlem
161 Malcom X Blvd.
I’m a sucker for a flashy moniker (which is why I spent all my allowance on Urban Decay and Hard Candy makeup as a pre-teen. Thank you, Midnight Cowboy eye shadow). Needless to say, this ode to frisky Mexican-inspired San Francisco street food and stripper money has got it. But that’s about the only flashy element of this Malcolm X Boulevard addition, a brightly colored, laidback joint designed dreamed up by former dancer Brian Washington-Palmer who opened his first Harlem restaurant, Bleu Evolution, back in 1998. They offer a beef taco with Rice-a-Roni and better yet, an all-you-can-drink weekend brunch, aka The Hooch Party.
Perfect for: Kicking back and getting rowdy with friends
Try: Suicide Mojito, with mescal, fresh lime, mint syrup, muddled jalapeño, and prosecco
4. Seamstress – Upper East Side
339 East 75th Street
The land of polo shirts, sports pubs, and well-to-do old ladies doesn’t often play host to great bars. But once in a while, the cocktail gods enjoy throwing us a curveball (the odd public urination ticket notwithstanding), and by cocktail gods, I mean head bartender Pamela Wiznitzer, formerly of the Dead Rabbit. Enter Seamstress, the candle-lit place to save the neighborhood with a whopping 50 American classic cocktail options, plus a rotating menu of 24 newly invented drinks. The menu is so extensive you can read about the history of each drink, so perhaps your brain cells will break even by the end of the night.
Perfect for: Schooling yourself on time-honored cocktails while getting drunk
Try: By Any Other Name, with Roca Patron Reposado, apricot, honeysuckle, peppercorn syrup, fennel, and lime
5. Yours Sincerely – Bushwick
41 Wilson Avenue
…Signed you, drunk as a skunk. Granted, not many things of sincerity come out of Bushwick, Brooklyn these days, but this aptly named sequel to Dear Bushwick is doing its best. The downside: It refers to itself as a “cocktail laboratory.” The upside: That’s because all 20 of their cocktails, along with six draft beers, two wines, and a whiskey, are on draft. If that sounds unappealing, fair enough, but go with an open mind because the drinks, contemporary updates on old standbys that go for $8 a pop, are really good. If you’re hesitant, try a non-committal cocktail shot for four bucks.
Perfect for: When you want to camp out in one bar for hours on end
Try: Placebo Effect, with Pimms No. 1, vodka, strawberry basil syrup, pink peppercorn tincture, ginger pop
6. Bar Goto – Lower East Side
245 Eldridge Street
The Japanese tend to do everything with finesse, so leave it to a Tokyo native, and Pegu Club alum, to bring a touch of refinement to the gritty-turned-scene-y LES. Enter Kenta Goto’s first solo venture, a sweetly lit and non-generic izakaya bar offering Japanese-tinged takes on cocktails your familiar with, like a Sakura Martini or Umami Mary; traditional beer; plenty of elements of yuzu and miso; and “comfort Japanese bar food” like okonomiyaki pancakes inspired by the ones Goto used to eat as a child. It’s already gotten plenty of praise from critics and customers alike.
Perfect for: Pre-dinner cocktails and appetizers or post-dinner cocktails and snacks
Try: Sakura Martini, with sake, gin, maraschino liqueur, and cherry blossom
7. Porchlight – West Chelsea
217 Eleventh Avenue
Ever find yourself fantasizing about spending a balmy evening in the Deep South, reclined on porch with a mint julep betwixt your languid fingertips? No? Well, Danny Meyer’s latest venture melds the slickness of a cosmopolitan bar with the down-home charm of the old local watering hole, so you can enjoy a mini-escape without the theme-restaurant element. This place is also one of the few to lead the charge on room-temperature cocktails, which, like morning sex, can be great when done right. To quote a sage Southern belle, one Kenya Moore of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, the drinks, divided into categories of Guzzlers, Sippers, Nerdy (as in “late-night experiments that worked”), and Classics, are “Gone with the Wind fabulous.”
Perfect for: When you’re feeling a little Green Acres about everything
Try: Aloha Friday, with Old Forester Bourbon, plantation pineapple rum, and hibiscus
8. Slowly Shirley – West Village
121 West 10th Street
On the off-chance you haven’t stopped reading after that reference, last but not least, at least objectively speaking, is Slowly Shirley, a “subterranean cocktail sanctuary” brought to us by Jon Neidich of ACME and Jim Kearns of The NoMad Hotel. Think atmosphere: They put just about as much import on the playlist, which has Duke Ellington, Lou Reed, and Leonard Cohen on rotation, as they do the décor (Art Deco and the Golden Age of Hollywood lent inspiration) and naturally, the drinks, some of which go for a heady $20 a pop. They also serve up bar snacks and sandwiches by The Happiest Hour.
Perfect for: When you want a little bit of decadence with none of the fuss
Try: The Sun Also Rises, with Domaine d’Esperance Blanche Armagnac, Cazottes Quince liquer, Baines Pacharon de Arañon, and amontillado sherry