New York City has one of the world’s great cocktail cultures. From a speakeasy you enter through a phone booth to a rooftop bar 40 floors above Times Square, the best cocktail bars in New York City turn a drink into something memorable. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning for the tenth, these are the bars worth finding, neighborhood by neighborhood. We checked that every bar below is still open in October 2026.
Why New York City Cocktail Bars Stand Apart
New York’s cocktail scene doesn’t just follow trends — it creates them. The city played a central role in the craft cocktail revival of the early 2000s. A generation of bartenders began treating mixology with the same care that chefs brought to food. The result is a bar culture that rewards curiosity.
You won’t find many chain venues here. Instead, you’ll discover intimate rooms where bartenders have spent years perfecting a single technique, sourcing unusual spirits, or reimagining a classic recipe. The best cocktail bars in New York City cluster in a few neighborhoods. The East Village, the West Village, the Lower East Side, and parts of Brooklyn lead the way. This guide covers where to go, what to order, and what to expect from each area.
The East Village: New York’s Cocktail Heartland
If you only have one evening for cocktail bars in New York, spend it in the East Village. This neighborhood, just north of the Lower East Side, is home to some of the most influential cocktail bars in the world.
Death & Company
Few bars have shaped modern cocktail culture the way Death & Company has. Set behind heavy wooden doors on East 6th Street, it opened in 2006 and quickly became a blueprint for what a serious craft cocktail bar could look like. The menu changes regularly. Expect precise, inventive drinks built around unusual spirits and house-made syrups. Book a table through its website if you can; it fills up fast on weekends.
PDT (Please Don’t Tell)
PDT has one of the city’s most memorable entrances. You walk down into Crif Dogs, a hot dog shop on St Marks Place, step into the old telephone booth, pick up the receiver and wait for a host to open the secret door. Inside is a small, dark room and some of the most inventive drinks in New York. Seats are limited, so reserve through PDT’s website before you go. Order a Crif Dog from the bar menu too; that’s part of the fun.
The West Village and Greenwich Village
The West Village’s brownstone-lined streets make it one of the most pleasant neighborhoods for bar-hopping in the city. Much of the action centers on Hudson Street and Bleecker Street. Greenwich Village and the West Village together offer a dense concentration of excellent bars within a few blocks of each other.
Employees Only
Employees Only, at 510 Hudson Street, is one of New York’s most reliably brilliant cocktail bars. The decor channels the glamour of a 1920s speakeasy. The drinks, many of them refreshed classics, are made with real care, and there is a full dinner menu too. Reservations are for dinner only; for drinks at the bar, just walk in. It can get busy late in the evening, but the lively room is part of the appeal.
Dante NYC
Dante sits on MacDougal Street in the space of the old Caffe Dante, an Italian café that had served the Village for a century before the new owners took over in 2015. It was named World’s Best Bar in 2019 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. Come for the Negronis and the Garibaldi, Campari shaken with freshly pressed orange juice. The sidewalk tables fill up on warm evenings, and the white-tiled bar inside is the place to watch the bartenders work.
Join 1,000+ New York Lovers
Every week, get New York’s lesser-known corners, local secrets, and travel inspiration.
Subscribe free — enter your email:
Free forever · One email per week · Unsubscribe anytime
The Lower East Side
The Lower East Side was once one of the most crowded immigrant neighborhoods in New York. Today it’s one of the best places in the city for a drink, with a run of small, independently owned bars along Eldridge Street. It sits just south of the East Village bars above, so an evening moving between the two areas makes for a near-perfect bar crawl.
Bar Goto
Bar Goto on Eldridge Street is one of New York’s most distinctive cocktail bars. Owner Kenta Goto spent years behind the bar at the much-missed Pegu Club before opening this small, calm room of about 30 seats. It draws on Japanese ingredients (shochu, sake, Japanese whisky) alongside classic cocktail technique. Order the Sakura Martini, and don’t skip the bar snacks, including okonomiyaki. It’s walk-in only, first come, first served. If you are staying in Brooklyn, its sister bar Bar Goto Niban is in Park Slope.
Attaboy
Attaboy occupies the small space at 134 Eldridge Street that was once Milk & Honey, one of the bars that helped define New York’s modern cocktail era. Look for the unmarked grey door and knock. There’s no menu. Tell the bartender what spirits you enjoy, what flavors appeal to you, or even your mood, and they’ll build something just for you. A few reservations go out on OpenTable; everyone else is first come, first served, and groups are capped at six. Try a weeknight if you want a calmer visit.
Midtown and Gramercy: Bars Worth the Price
Midtown cocktail bars attract business travelers and theater crowds, and prices tend to reflect that. A few, however, deliver enough quality to justify the cost. If you’re staying in Midtown or heading to a show nearby, these are worth knowing about.
Dear Irving
Dear Irving sits at 55 Irving Place in Gramercy, on the street named after the writer Washington Irving. You can reserve a table online, and the cocktails are accomplished and generous. The atmosphere is upscale without being stuffy. For a view, its sister bar Dear Irving on Hudson is on the 40th and 41st floors of the Aliz Hotel near Times Square, and there is a third, Dear Irving on Broadway (checked October 2026).
The Flatiron Room
The Flatiron Room focuses on American whiskey, bourbon and rye in particular. It opened in 2012 a few blocks north of the Flatiron Building, in NoMad, and now has a second room in Murray Hill. Expect a handsome, dimly lit space, a serious food menu and live music. If you prefer a well-made Old Fashioned or a Manhattan to a multi-ingredient cocktail, this is a brilliant choice.
Brooklyn: Craft Cocktails Across the Bridge
Brooklyn’s cocktail scene has grown in the past decade, from Williamsburg in the north to the brownstone streets of Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens. The bars here tend to be less formal than their Manhattan counterparts. Crossing the river for a drink is well worth it if you’re spending a couple of days in the city.
Clover Club
Clover Club at 210 Smith Street, where Cobble Hill meets Carroll Gardens, takes its name and its motto from a 19th-century Philadelphia drinking club. The menu draws on 19th-century classics (sours, juleps, daisies and royales) and gives them a modern twist; start with the bar’s namesake gin and raspberry Clover Club. There is an evening food menu and a weekend brunch, and you can reserve through the bar’s website. Smith Street is lined with restaurants, so it’s easy to make an evening of it.
Practical Tips for Cocktail Bar Hopping in NYC
Booking ahead
New York’s best cocktail bars fill up fast, especially on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. For spots like PDT and Death & Company, reservations are strongly advisable; book through each bar’s own website. Bar Goto is walk-in only, and Attaboy keeps most of its seats for walk-ins. Arriving early on a weeknight usually means a shorter wait.
What to expect on price
Cocktails at New York’s top bars cost more than in most cities, and hotel and Midtown bars tend to charge the most. Check each bar’s online menu for current prices, and remember to add a tip of around 20%, which is standard in New York bars.
Guided cocktail tours
A guided cocktail tour is a great way to explore New York’s bar scene. A good guide will take you to bars you might not find on your own and explain the history of each venue. Browse cocktail tours and bar crawls in New York City on Viator — there are options for different group sizes and budgets.
Combine a bar evening with dinner nearby. Our New York City food guide covers the best options across every part of the city. And if this is your first time in New York, our first-time visitor’s guide explains how to plan your evenings around the city’s geography.
Frequently Asked Questions: Cocktail Bars in New York City
What is the best neighborhood for cocktail bars in New York City?
The East Village and the Lower East Side, side by side, have the highest concentration of world-class cocktail bars in a walkable area. Death & Company and PDT are a few minutes apart in the East Village, and Attaboy and Bar Goto are just south on Eldridge Street. The West Village is a close runner-up.
How much do cocktails cost at New York City bars?
Prices change often, so check each bar’s online menu before you go. Expect hotel bars and Midtown venues to charge the most, and add a tip of around 20%.
Do I need to book in advance for New York City cocktail bars?
For popular venues like PDT and Death & Company, advance booking is strongly recommended, especially on weekends. Bar Goto is walk-in only, and Attaboy offers only a few reservations on OpenTable. Employees Only takes reservations for dinner only. Check each bar’s website before you visit.
Are there good cocktail bars in Brooklyn?
Yes, Brooklyn has a strong and growing cocktail scene. Clover Club on Smith Street, at the edge of Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, is one of the best, and Bar Goto has a Brooklyn sister, Bar Goto Niban, in Park Slope. Williamsburg is worth exploring too if you’re spending time across the river.
Join 1,000+ New York Lovers
Every week, get New York’s lesser-known corners, local secrets, and travel inspiration.
Subscribe free — enter your email:
Free forever · One email per week · Unsubscribe anytime
