James Harlow

About James

James has been writing about hospitality professionally since 2011 and drinking through New York since the year his East Village local first put a Negroni on the menu. He covers North America for barsforKings — primarily New York and the eastern US, with regular swings through Chicago, Washington DC, Atlanta and New Orleans.

Before barsforKings, James spent six years on the bar desks of two New York hospitality publications and contributed to the editorial pages of three drinks magazines. His work has focused on the editorial vetting of cocktail rooms — what makes a bar a place worth returning to, not just a place worth visiting once.

He has strong opinions about which Upper East Side bar pours the best Manhattan, why the Lower East Side cocktail renaissance was overrated by half, and exactly which corner table to ask for at three of the top ten bars in New York. He also has reservations under his name at most of them.

James edits the daily editorial calendar for barsforKings, runs the monthly editor review meetings, and personally signs off on every first-date and proposal recommendation we publish for New York.

Coverage area

James writes on the bar scenes of: New York · Boston · Philadelphia · Washington DC · Chicago · Atlanta · Nashville · New Orleans

Article archive (529 pieces)

All barsforKings editorial work signed by James Harlow, most recent first.

Contact

For story tips, corrections or pitches, email the editorial desk at /contact. Press inquiries about James's work go through our press kit.