Hi-Note
Bar · East Village
188 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009
Highlights
Radio bar with DJ, great cocktails, avocado toast
Radio bar with DJ, great cocktails, avocado toast
"If you’re not paying attention, it’s entirely possible to end up here instead of HiLot (or vice versa). Doesn’t matter, both places are fun. This bar has banquettes up front and a shiny black, L-shaped bar next to a DJ station playing tunes all day. On Mondays, you can sign up to take over the turntable for half an hour with your own vinyl. It never seems to get too wild here, but if you need an escape, you can walk through the kitchen to get to a surprisingly big backyard." - bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"This coffee shop-by-day and bar-by-night is home to its own radio station, where DJs spin eclectic music throughout the day. That means you’ll go from drinking cold brew to sipping cocktails (including espresso martinis) at night—and you’ll do it in their big backyard, dancing to disco." - neha talreja, bryan kim, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, will hartman
"If you’re tired of hearing Dua Lipa and Harry Styles on an endless loop, head to Hi-Note, an Alphabet City “radio bar” that functions as a coffee shop by day. The music’s not mind-numbingly loud here, and it seems like someone is actually putting thought behind what’s playing. That someone could even be you: there’s a DJ station near the bar where you can play your own LPs and 45s on Monday nights, starting at 8pm. Besides the shiny, L-shaped bar, there are also banquettes up front, and the whole space is soundproofed for karaoke, which this place plans to offer one day." - bryan kim, kenny yang
"If you’re looking to significantly improve a random Tuesday night, go to Rue B in Alphabet City and drink an Old Fashioned while you listen to live jazz. They post info about their nightly musical performances on Instagram here, but you can generally expect shows to typically run from 7pm to 9pm. On Saturday nights, they always host a barbershop quartet out front called Scout Ford And The Blue Moons. A tip: you can hear the band from the outdoor seating areas at Haile and Frangos Peri Peri." - hannah albertine
"For about a decade, the owners of Hi-Note kept running into each other at the same karaoke spot. They bonded over their mutual love of singing in public, then decided to open this cafe and bar in Alphabet City. At Hi-Note, the focus is on music. There’s a DJ station playing music all day, starting in the morning when this place functions as a coffee shop. On Mondays, you can sign up to take over the turntable for half an hour with your own vinyl, and Thursdays are for electronica. It never seems to get too wild here, but if you need an escape, you can walk through the kitchen to get to a surprisingly big backyard. You might have noticed that we haven’t mentioned karaoke. Don’t worry—the whole room is soundproofed for that, and it’s coming soon." - Kenny Yang
