Editorial
New York's bar scene never stays still. Every season brings new openings, unexpected closures, and the eternal question: where should we drink tonight? We've spent the past year exploring neighborhoods from the Lower East Side to Park Slope, sampling Negronis from East Village institutions and testing new cocktail concepts in Midtown. Here's where our editors are actually going right now.
The Lower East Side remains ground zero for serious cocktail culture. The bars here take their recipes seriously—often very seriously. We recommend visiting during the evening hours when the bartenders have time to craft each drink with proper attention.
We've selected ten bars that represent the current state of New York cocktail culture. Each has earned its place through consistency, character, and drinks that actually taste good. The selection spans five neighborhoods and five different approaches to the craft.
New York's neighborhoods each develop their own bar culture. The Lower East Side rewards history obsessives — and if you're willing to look past the obvious choices, our guide to New York's best hidden gem bars uncovers the unmarked doors and password speakeasies the neighbourhood keeps to itself. The East Village caters to spirits experts. West Village bars balance craft with accessibility. Brooklyn's best venues feel like neighborhood living rooms. The Upper West Side maintains an old New York dignity.
The ten bars above represent what we're seeing in 2023: a return to fundamentals over flash, confidence over marketing, and genuine hospitality over attitude. They're good places to spend an evening.
Get our weekly bar recommendations delivered to your inbox.
We don't rate bars on novelty or Instagram potential. Our criteria are simpler: Do the cocktails taste good? Is the bartender knowledgeable without being condescending? Would we return? These bars pass all three tests.
New York's bar landscape shifts constantly. Owners retire, leases expire, trends change. The venues in this guide have staying power because they've built loyalty through quality and character. They're the kinds of places you'll still want to visit in five years.
Most of these bars hit their stride Tuesday through Thursday, when serious drinkers outnumber tourists and bartenders have breathing room to talk. Fridays and Saturdays draw crowds—good if you want atmosphere, challenging if you want attention. Sundays tend toward relaxed afternoons.
Visiting multiple bars in an evening is the New York way. You might start with a drink at Harvest Moon, move to a neighborhood spot like Meridian, and end downtown at something like Velour. This city has enough quality bars that there's no reason to settle for a second choice. For a structured itinerary, our New York bar crawl guide maps three routes across the East Village, Brooklyn, and Midtown with specific timing and transport advice. And if your evening anchors around a hotel property, our guide to the best hotel bars in New York covers nine of the city's finest rooms — from Bemelmans at The Carlyle to the Press Lounge above Hell's Kitchen. If you're visiting New York for the first time, our complete traveler's guide to New York bars covers every neighborhood, what to order, and the unwritten rules that separate regulars from first-timers.
James has been drinking his way through New York since 2009. He covers bars for several national publications and has a strong opinion about which bar in the East Village makes the best Negroni.
Reach serious cocktail enthusiasts and bar professionals across North America.
Five editor-curated guides, each ten bars, each tuned to a specific moment. The New York bars our editors send first dates to, and the ones we send proposals to, and everything between.
Six annual New York guides, each ten editor-vetted bars. Christmas Day to New Year's Eve to Halloween, with the cover charges, midnight pours and door policies confirmed.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 by the barsforKings editorial team
Our editors rank the best cocktail bars in Charlotte, with what to order at each.