Best Bars in New York (2025)

A Lower East Side phenom where culinary-inspired cocktails meet clever bar snacks. Regularly ranked on North America’s 50 Best Bars and profiled by Condé Nast Traveler and Resy, it runs a lively front room and a reservation-booked back room that locals line up for.

Ignacio “Nacho” Jimenez’s East Village love letter to Mexican-American flavors, celebrated by North America’s 50 Best Bars and praised by national food media for its guava highballs, mole negronis, and late-night energy. It’s a community-forward bar that still drinks like a destination.

In the former Milk & Honey space, this walk-in-only LES icon crafts bespoke cocktails without a menu. Crowned Best Bar in North America in 2022 and still a fixture in expert roundups, it’s a small room with outsized influence and warm, precise hospitality.

A sky-high FiDi lounge with wraparound terraces, flawless service, and refined drinks from the Saga Hospitality team. Consistently recognized by the 50 Best lists and admired by critics for pairing serious cocktails with unforgettable city views.

Takuma Watanabe’s three-level Gramercy carriage house channels Japanese precision and serene charm. Frequently cited by 50 Best and industry awards, it’s where elegant classics, carved ice, and thoughtful bites shape an intimate, special-occasion night without losing neighborhood soul.

Masahiro Urushido’s Japanese American bar marries highballs, boilermakers, and signature drinks with riotous fun. A regular on the 50 Best lists and lauded by national outlets, it’s the rare award-winner that still feels like a neighborhood hang.

Up a staircase above Gage & Tollner, this nautical hideaway—guided by cocktail scholar Garret Richard—turns tropical drinks into balanced, transportive sips. Walk-in friendly and celebrated by food media, it’s a Brooklyn night that feels like a sea voyage.

Toby Cecchini’s revived midcentury tavern is where Brooklyn’s best martinis meet a cult-classic burger. A favorite of critics from Condé Nast Traveler to Grub Street and The Infatuation, it’s timeless, neighborly, and the bar many bartenders drink at.

Kenta Goto’s LES gem leans into Japanese flavors—think cherry blossom martinis, shochu, and excellent okonomiyaki. Frequently featured by Eater, New York Magazine, and national critics, it remains intimate, exacting, and very much a local favorite.

Operating since the 19th century in the landmark James Brown House, this Hudson Square stalwart pours history with its pints and hosts live music. Recently spotlighted by international press, it’s a rare bar where New York’s past hums alongside today.

Sother Teague’s tiny East Village bar centers amari and bitters with exacting stirred drinks and a cult following. Newly reestablished at its original address and recommended by major outlets, it’s pure New York: niche, knowledgeable, and warmly welcoming.

Adjacent to Michelin-starred Noda, Shinji’s stages theatrical, tableside cocktail service—think Tropicana served in a frozen orange—backed by high-end ingredients and technique. Recognized by industry awards and editors, it’s a modern showstopper with genuine craft beneath the spectacle.