Blue & Gold Tavern

Awesome little dive bar. Cozy vibes, cheap drinks, pool tables, and a young crowd. If you're looking to chill in the East village and want to save money, this is a great spot.

I've been to over 30 countries /hundreds of bars and always come back to B&G as one of the premier bars/taverns in the world.. It's the atmosphere/service, cold beer and the authenticity of the venue...It's second to none. It's definitely not for N.J., L.I. or C.T. bridge and tunnelers trying to be bar divers...

Great dive in LES. Good selection of drafts, cans, and liquors for a reasonable price. The pool table was busy and it was a nice afters spot. Don't expect to grab a table easily after 7.

This is the real dive bar! It's a very old place. It's a thing you see in American movies: an old wooden bar, 7/8 tables on the side, a jukebox and a pool table. The staff is friendly, beers are cheap. Perfect! It can be a cool place to get drinks with friends, but it can also be a good date place because of the pool table. It's a local place and some guests seem to be regulars. We had a regular beer and an IPA, and it costed $10. If you are passing through the East Village, be sure to drop by for the real American dive bar experience.

I've been coming here way too long. Cheap bar. I'm glad it finally reopened. Don't irritate the bartenders. The customer is not always right. Classic Juke box and if you like pool there is always a wait. Gets crowded on Friday and Saturday nights

We’ve been coming to the Blue and Gold for years and have always liked it. Now that Brandon works here we love it even more. We met him on his second day and he was so attentive and friendly. Since then we’ve gotten to know him more and he’s so funny. He makes it a good time. One thing I would note is that it would be great if the men’s room could be renovated. It’s fun to watch people play pool. And it’s nice there’s a jukebox.

An old-school dive bar: jukebox, pool table, good bartender, not too young of a crowd. Surprisingly upscale booze available, and less of a Ukrainian & Polish presence than there was back in the day, but basically unchanged from the early 80s when I first had drinks there.

Great beer and shot specials. Low key dive bar with old school juke box. Friendly service for all you low life's.. shout-out to yurij say hello, supercool dude!

Been here several times and it just keeps getting better.....now i'm giving it 5stars....Thanx Mike, you were a great bartender.....place looks like a lot of fun later in the day and will be visiting again soon

Really cute hole in the wall bar, what caught our eye was the cute Christmas Village decor they have in the window! Drinks are SUPER cheap, so happy we found this place honestly! $5-7 shots and $5 well drinks. Pool table and chess table, jukebox, great vibes.

Awesome place you have to experience. Something straight out of a movie. Tell 'em Erik sent ya.

I'm really torn on how to rate and review this place. But 4 stars for customer service and for nostalgia reasons. I came here oddly on my boyfriend's birthday as a pitstop on our adventure in the east village. Fair warning: this place gets crowded. Mad crowded. Like I think a 20-something year old girl plopped her fanny down right on my lap as she waited for her order levels of crowded leading to an incredibly awkward moment of time that elapsed. The drinks are only about $6 for a mug (which may be a bit smaller than your typical pint) and maybe around $7 for pretty much any well drink you can imagine. Not sure what their happy hour is these days. Beware that the place carries a waft of spilled and dried up ale in the air. I used to come here with my friends for their university reunions of sorts and may have had my birthday here one year in my twenties. I'm not gonna lie, I feel prehistoric coming back here for the first time in over a decade but not much has really changed. Inflation, yes. But they still probably have some of the cheapest drinks in the neighborhood. The bartending is fast, friendly, and efficient. There's pool in the back. A few book shelves filled with an interesting selection near surprisingly clean bathrooms.

I love this place. I always say that you can't keep a beautiful thing to yourself forever. A lot of people have discovered this gem so there are more patrons to share the pool table with. Get a redneck if you're a real one.

Classic East Village dive bar with a pool table at the back. Decent beer selection although a lot of them are not on tap. Drinks are very affordable, beers are $5-7. It's cozy inside but when the atmosphere is good and the jukebox is playing it is a fun spot! If it's not too packed during the day you can ask to bring food inside too. Floors can be a bit sticky and bathroom not very clean.

Best bar in NYC!!! Love the ambiance, love how charming it is. The drinks are at great prices. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the city. Love the old fashioned feel!

I made a yelp account just to rate this place 1 star. Rudest, nastiest staff i have ever encountered. Drinks weren't great either and their bar was barely stocked so they were out of so many basic drinks. It was also 90 degrees in there. Save yourself from a bad night and don't come here.

Dicks. Came in with multiple friends and didn't let my friend in bc they had a skateboard? It's nyc? Ppl use skateboards to get around everywhere lol Don't waste your money here too many incredible bars that exist in nyc. Two doors down is big bar go there lol

Very rude staff. We started our night here with a group of about 10 and spent a decent amount of money. I wish we hadn't given them any business because both bartenders were extremely disrespectful, entitled, and spoke down to us from the minute we walked into the bar. I had tipped kindly on our first round (25%) and shortly after we ordered another round. We couldn't find one of the drinks he poured on the table and I asked where it was and the bartender yelled at me. I asked if he could make the drink again and even charge us twice and apologized but he rolled his eyes and yelled that that wasn't the point. My friend was very upset with this interaction and when paying for the bill chose to put no tip. I tried to order from the other bartender for yet another round of drinks and he yelled at me saying that he doesn't want to serve me because I don't tip. He said something along the lines of "I don't know where you're from but I'm born and raised here and we understand that this is how bartenders make their living" in the most condescending tone. I explained to him that I was also born and raised in the city, have worked in the service industry, and I did tip him plenty on the bill that I paid. However I still apologized and said I plan on tipping as I always do (even when the service is shitty), and gave them 20% on that round. Although, after the way I was spoken to, I'm thankful that they did not receive the $8 tip on the previous round that apparently would have paid all of his bills. As someone who has grown up around the service industry, I understand the upset but tipping is a courtesy and he is lucky to still have received 20% tip from us for the following rounds we purchased there. With the way I was spoken to the whole night there's no wonder he was so sensitive about not receiving a tip. He probably doesn't receive very many because of the way he treats people. Both of them were extremely entitled. My friends and I will never be going here again.

Great bar for cheap drinks and a low key night with friends. Nothing fancy or over the top, also a cool place to pregame. They also have a pool table if you wanna play a few games. Bar seating and tables are both available.

Used to love this place. Current bartender- bald guy with a mediocre goatee - is so condescending and unpleasant to be around. Ive been here about 4 times with him behind the bar and ive hated every time. Gave the place a lot of chances with him. It's not the same spirit. Will never go back so long as he's there. Good whiskey otherwise!

A good spot for some cheap drinks and a game of pool. It's a small but cozy bar. Cash only.

The owner screamed at a man asking for a glass of water. He yelled at me because I didn't know that he didn't have a certain beverage lol. avoid like the plague

Cheap bar. Good vibe. Pool table. $4 shots. What more can you ask for in NYC, really? This place is dope.

Don't go on Mondays, the stupid bartender will demand a US ID. Nothing else works. Idiotic, if u are Englush, Australian, Swedish you don't get in

Note: when google maps describes a bar as a local watering hole it always means a dive. Found this place after eating at Ugly Kitchen (on 1st Ave- also great food). It wasn't obnoxiously loud or crowded so that was a win. Cheap drinks $5 for Ketel and Hornitos. So what's not to love about that. Did I mention the bartender made them strong? I couldn't see the full menu so not sure how cheap the beers are. Happy hour it's a $1 off well drinks. They have a few TVs to watch sporting events and a pool table in the back. -* for being cash only.

I'd rather get my foot ran over by a car than ever go back here. The ugly (inside and out) old bartender is a rude meanie that obviously is miserable and takes it out on everyone and anyone there. My friend was sure she left her ID here and when my friend went to see if it was there/ potentially grab it for her because we don't live close by he refused to look if the bar had it and when he asked the bartender what the problem was he literally put him a headlock and threw him out. There's plenty of other cheap and underwhelming bars to go to around the area. Your bartender needs psychiatric help asap

I always stop in at this spot when I'm in the city. It's a little dive bar with cheap beer and a pool table - what else could you ask for?

Stay away from this place like the plague. Never met a group of staff that has treated me worse in my life.. Came in at 1:30 to meet some friends, despite their website claiming open until 4, I was told it was last call and I mentioned meeting friends here and I was initially let in and left alone. My friends joined us at the bar, who had been there for hours .When the person to the right of me at the bar successfully ordered a drink, I then asked the bartender for a whiskey and soda. He then became really aggressive with me and saying that last call happened and I needed to "get my ass out" ... Because my story of "meeting friends wasn't true". At this point I was being threatened so I apologized (for I guess nothing?) and left. Not sure the motivations, but if you hate yourself, please don't take it out on random people. Blue and gold is the bar equivalent of the insecure and and overly aggressive fraternity that overcompensates for said insecurity by being degrading to anyone who is not them. Please hit me up for literally +200 recs for better bars in this part of Manhattan lol. This place is not it.

Some guy walked in off the street and tried (successfully) to sell us porn. On Halloween, my buddy bet me that I couldn't get a number from the next girl to walk in wearing an animal costume = free car bomb. An acquaintance of mine vomited on the floor. Rather than get angry and kick him out, the bartender simply handed said acquaintance a mop and forced him to clean it up himself. Other bar owners, take note: you run a classy joint, with classy staff; you get classy customers.

The best jukebox in nyc, hands down. I've been going here since NYC was cool and since before the East Village was chock full of finance bros. It's the best!

Early twenties staple. It's a dive bar at it's divest. Good jukebox, Check. Good prices, 3 dollar shots? 5 beer and shot combos? Check Laid back bartender, check. It's crowded on the weekends. Long line for the pool table and dirty as heck. But sometimes you're in the mood for a dive. My favourite experience there has been a Summer Sunday at 6pm. Don't roll deep with a crew here. Group of 4 max. It's CASH only.

Everything you could want from a dive bar ! great prices, ambiance and pool table. The blue and gold lager is only $3 and gets the job done. Always stop by when I'm in New York

Honestly, I was first worried about coming here because of some of the reviews about the service of this place. Met up with a couple of friends here and it wasn't bad. Not sure if it's the same bartender that was attending us as the others who wrote the reviews but he accommodated to all of us without any hesitation the whole time. Being it's near NYU, we all got asked our IDs but no credit cards being checked or anything. We were here for awhile and even brought food in from outside to eat and no one said anything to us. Let's just say everyone had a good time good cheap drinks in hand that were never empty. One less star only because it's cash only.

Blue & Gold is an essential dive bar in East Village. It's never the main event of my night, but its convenient location, low prices, and chill vibe make it great for a stop and a shot. $6 will get you the well liquor and beer combo of your choice, with names like "Dirty Hipster" and "Low Life." This is also an ideal place to try a pickleback. It's rarely too crowded to grab a stool or booth, even on weekend nights, though there's usually a long wait for the pool table. Service isn't overly friendly, but has never been rude to me. Cash only. I came by for the first time in years on a Saturday night and it reminded me of why I used to like this place so much. There's a good mix of ages and lifestyles, and everyone seemed in a celebratory mood despite the rainy weather. Some dive bars can feel intimidating in their grunginess, but Blue & Gold always manages to feel both approachable and authentic to me.

If you want a casual, chill night out drinking single malt without spending too much money, this is the place. The bartenders are attentive and efficient. The place has a jukebox and a pool table.

After grabbing dinner with friends and family, we stumbled upon this place. All drinks were $5 and you cannot beat those prices in NYC. We ordered shoots of whiskey, $5 and beers and ciders. They don't have a great wine selection (my sister's preference) but their cider was amazing. It's a neat little place where the music isn't too loud and you can actually have a conversation. It was a great way to end the night.

Blue & Gold is truly one of the diviest dive bars still left in Manhattan. I've come here a few times for friend's birthdays, to meet up with someone or for a quick nightcap. No need for happy hour because drinks are no more than $4-5 a pop - and this includes Makers Mark and Grey Goose. Pretty crazy, huh? This isn't a beer snob's bar - this is a "we're getting turnt on liquor tonight" kind of establishment. Pool table in the back for $1 games, booths for small group seating, plenty of bar stools all over the place, TVs upfront and in a few of the corners plus a not-so-sanitary bathroom make this one of the quintessential East Village bars to hit up in Manhattan. Warning though if you're traveling in a large pack - Blue & Gold does get very crowded and when people are situated inside, they usually hang out there for a lengthy period of time. I have come here with a 4-5 person squad and been turned away because they're filled to capacity - so if you're coming here late on a Friday or Saturday night, it might not hurt to have a back-up place as well. 4 stars for the cheap drinks and very efficient bar service.

Best bar In the city. A great remembrance of old school NYC. Always great bartenders and good times

Blue & Gold Tavern NY: Manhattan: East Village 11:59pm 21st November 2015 Five F*ing Stars This is the best dive bar in East Village and perhaps the best dive bar in Manhattan. The Patriot Saloon is still my favorite, mainly because of proximity to my apartment. Everything is basically under $5 except picklebacks (its like 5 for the shot and $1 for juice). They sell Scotch for $5. I got a Glenlivet for $5 since they were out of McCallans. Its crowded but not crazy. We found a table in the back, drank until the table was filled with empty glass, talked until our voices were hoarse, and watched some terrible pool playing. They have the billiards rules so they isn't any fighting. You should not come here because you will want to come back againa and again. I bet you with bring your space filling friends. Cash Only.

Really cheap. All cash. Don't get a mixed drink. Just straight booze or beer and you'll be stoked.

The Blue & Gold might just be THE quintessential East Village dive bar. Located on a quiet stretch of East 7th, you pretty much know what you're in for as soon as you step through the door: absurdly cheap drinks, horribly cramped pool table (sooner or later, someone is gonna get whacked with a cue stick), and bathrooms that should be declared a Superfund site. I've been here at least a half dozen times over the past few years and never had a bad experience (well...there WAS the shot of warm slivovitz, but that was my own doing). $3 house lager, $5-$6 shot and beer combos (the Genny Cream and Jim Beam "Redneck' is a favorite) and healthy pours of top shelf liquor & single malts for $5 a glass. It's rarely over-packed though fair warning when frequenting in the summer months: even with the air conditioning and rickety fans, it can get downright sweltering in there.

This is a staple of NYC at this point and should be around forever. A great space with time travel music and prices that remind us of what it meant to enjoy yourself at a bar without being trashed. If you enjoy whisky or scotch like myself then you will love the $5, yes $5, prices for top shelf names. Not to mention the great beer & shot combos that will run you about $6 bucks. There is no food sold here, except for possibly some chips, but you are allowed to bring food in. The old man in me is not a fan of the darker than I'd like lighting but that is more a preference than a negative comment. I love this place and would be there way more often if not for the crazy commute it is for me.

The minute I walk in, I feel as though an old friend is hugging me. My old friend smells like old beer and hasn't showered in days, but neither have lots of friends! I don't know what it is? Maybe it's the atmosphere, the dim lighting, the cheap (but strong) drinks, who knows. What I do know is that I like the vibe, I like the patrons, I even like the bartender. Blue & Gold Tavern kind of reminds me of that show "Cheers" except that no one knows my name. Although, everyone is friendly enough that it doesn't really matter. All that matters is I know its name and that's the first step!

I absolutely hate hate HATE this joint. It is beyond me how Blue and Gold earns (I'm skeptical) any of its stars. Probably because a number of negative reviews are hidden behind the review filter and are not averaged in (coincidence?). I was here last summer with a few friends to share a pitcher of beer and here are the highlights: Nastiest bartender any of us have ever had the displeasure of meeting. After reading the other yelp reviews, she's a notoriously bitchy bigot or a bigoted bitch . When we came in, she was in the middle of chatting some guy up and grabbing his beer order. She asked for our IDs but since she was taking a while to finish up with the patron, we handed her our IDs and took a seat. At that point, she hissed at us that we would have the audacity to sit down before having our IDs check and she barked, "STAND UP with your IDs! Trying to pull this shit over me." She must have thought we were all underage (we were 25) and that would scare us away. Maybe she's just a racist, or just disappointed we weren't her regular hipster crowd. We should've left then but I don't know what provoked us to stay (we were probably too hot and lazy to find another place) but boy were we going to regret this decision. The dirtiest taps in all of the city. The pitcher of Magic Hat tasted like a mouthful of quarters (probably attributed to the bacteria, yeast, and mold build-up in the beer hose). NOMNOMNOM The bathrooms were just as bad. Vomit in the sink and the garbage. No toilet paper. Seeing that that prissy bartender was the only one working the bar that afternoon, she definitely could not be bothered with that. As we left, the nasty bartender politely bid us farewell with a, you know, usual "HEY PRICK, COME BACK HERE AND PICK UP YOUR TRASH!" Yes, we left one brown paper bag but there wasn't a garbage can in sight, so I'm not so sure that would warrant the name-calling. Not gonna lie, that traumatic bar experience left us groaning in a shit mood for the rest of the day. And it still lasts with us to this day.

Cute little east village dive bar. I liked this place because there were a lot of different beers to choose from so it's definitely great for beer lovers. I went here around 1 30am after a first date was dwindling down so being open late came in the clutch for not wanting to end the night quite yet. Good lively atmosphere there was a good amount of people there especially for how late it was. There are TVs with sport games on if that's your thing and pool tables as well. There are seats at the bar but then booths all around so prob a good pregame place for a big group or if you want to watch a sports game with a crew! All around good experience and not too expensive. However they were cash only so it was lucky that I had cash on me because my date didn't and then we would have been screwed! Bar tenders were very friendly- over all good vibes!

If you've had a tetanus shot recently, are broke, and love the subway at rush hour then this is your kind of dive bar. I'm sure its awesome any other day than Friday, but the messy crowd was not my steez. The price was right, the music was rad, but the crowd was repulsive. We were even asked to wait outside because it was at maximum capacity (about 150 people). Sad.

B&G is f*cking legit. Unlike Peter D's experience, no one tried to sell me porn - which was a huge disappointment, but what can one do. Porn or not, B&G still impressed. Their HH specials last pretty much through the night. There is a disclaimer that says it's up to your bartender's discretion, so definitely be nice! Even if you're a mean o' drunk and piss off the bartender, and he ends up killing the HH prices, the regular prices are still a steal. Single malts for $5 each, PBRs are $3, Miller HL are $4, and the B&G drafts are $3. All the other hard liqs are no more than $5. Don't believe me? Check out the pic I took of their menu board. To top it all off, there is a pool table in the back. For the pool newbies, there is a board explaining the bar rules. Tip - read it before you play. Ladies - yes, there is only 1 bathroom dedicated for us. BUT - there is also a sign that specifically says ladies only. Can't guarantee that the boys will pay any attention to that sign, but at least B&G tried!

Great small local bar, no frills. Just good company, and great prices.

This place gets 4 stars because it was exactly what I was looking for! This is NOT for the weak-stomach and bougie crowd. Take a walk and head to Beauty & Essex if you want that. But if you are looking for cheap booze, pool, rough crowd but hearts of gold then you got it. This is what I loved about NYC. It's a real gem with real people. Thanks for the memories!

Absolutely amazing dive bar that encapsulated everything I wanted from NYC. This is one of those kinds of bars that my dad hung out at with all of the other Eastern Europeans. Cheap drinks, great Guinness, and comfy booths. I guess I've always wanted to be Debbie Harry, and I hope that she used to come here. She would fit in.

FUCK THIS PLACE! I don't know why Yelp reminded me to finish this review just now. Anyway, I wish I was exaggerating but I'm not. So the bartender at the time I visit was kind of a cranky lady and my friend and I had order one round with her already, and given when I was here I was young and broke and at my first job. I tipped her $2 for my first beer because I've worked in the service industry and understand the importance of tipping. I wasn't sure what my friend tipped her but he did. We decided to order a pitcher and as she was handing me the pitcher and 2 glasses, I handed over what I thought was enough cash, but guess it wasn't as she yelled "no tip?" And I said hold on, as I'm literally holding a pitcher and thought I had given her enough, but before I could react she motion to give the pitcher back and get the fuck out. She then looked at the bouncer and yelled "Get them out!" My friend and I looked at the bouncer and you could tell he was starting to laugh but then soon realized she was serious. He apologized to my friend and I and said we had to go. Which was fine, but to this day I remember that cunt AND she never gave me back the money for the beer.

Great local dive that sells top-shelf liquor at bafflingly low prices. Laphroaig for $5? They won me over the moment I walked through the door. Like others, I've found myself with friends planning to start our evenings here only to end up staying the entire night-- and with our wallets fuller for it, which is nothing short of a miracle in this city. This place can get incredibly crowded on weeknights, never mind weekends, but stick around for a while and you'll find a booth. I've also found that there's always someone willing to play pool, especially if you come in before the 10pm rush. You won't find expert mixology here, but I'm sure you already knew that.

It was a simple bar that did the job. My friend and I came in here to get some drinks before heading to a hookah bar to end our night and it was just that. The bartender made some solid drinks so I wasn't disappointed and they weren't served in plastic cups like a dive bar so that's a bonus. The pool table looked well maintained so I do recommend this for people who want to drink and play pool and they had the house rules listed on the wall which means some people actually care about the sport. The bathroom was a little messy but it's NYC so yeah that's no surprise and the bar top was quite small so be prepared to stand. The low light and the dingy alternative feel isn't the worst and it definitely feels like a bar you can drink your sorrows away in lol My big complaint on this spot is there above bar menu. It's super complicated to read or to even see at that. Definitely go into this bar knowing what you want to drink ... Not a place I would leave it up to the bartender. Also though good job with the beer selection and the spirits where basic..so maybe jazz it up a little. You guys look like a perfect neighborhood bar so I'm sure your regulars must love you but for a person just walking by it would be great to enjoy this bar more then just for the aesthetic and more for the experience.

Such a small crowded place, but the cheap drinks keep me coming back. There are a ton of everyday specials! You can grab a Dirty Sanchez (beer and a shot) for about $6. They even have a pickle back (shot followed by a pickle juice chaser). There is a pool table in the back, and a "jukebox" you can put a few coins in and listen to whatever tunes you want! I've been here a number of times as way to start the night. Get those strong, cheap drinks in, before heading out for a $15 watered down Jack and flat Coke. Crowd is mixed but fun. Few places to sit and if a dingy place can be cool, this is it!

The Blue & Gold Tavern is a treasure and if anyone ever tries to drive them out of that property I will stage a protest. This is an ur-dive bar, cheap drinks, cash only. They have a small menu of beers, a broad selection of whiskeys, and well drinks for cheap, cheap, cheap. The real miracle of the place is that they let you bring outside food in (they do not serve food), and because you sit in the heart of the east village you have so many options for great drinking food that, what you should probably do, is just get takeout at every restaurant you've been meaning to try and enjoy it at the Blue & Gold. Just remember to bring cash!

Cool bar that's divey but not dirty. Cheap drinks. Good vibes. Pool table. Booth seating available.

Ah, the Blue & Gold trusty purveyor of cheap booze to men and women of all incomes and ages, but mainly the frugal, younger crowd (wink) that lives and studies in Downtown New York. There's something very comforting about B&G's near-guaranteed availability of a booth, complete with beaten, tattered upholstery. This is the dive where you want to hunker down for a few hours with a few $4 mugs or a $12 pitcher or four of Brooklyn Lager or Sierra Nevada. On which score, I commend them for going beyond the PBR/Yuengling/Donkey pee trifecta offered at so many budget-conscious drinking holes. You know it's a classy joint when the above-counter blackboard lists a dozen shots, each with its own local flavor and description. And, is it just me, or do their dark-helmet bottle caps make every bottle of liquor look like Darth Vader?