Jungle Bird

"Jungle Bird is the best all-purpose bar in the area. It's a nice-looking place, with leather banquettes and tropical plants spread throughout, but you can show up in shorts and flip-flops if you want. Also, there's an upstairs section with a second bar, so there's plenty of room for groups. If you're planning a birthday hang that includes all of your third-tier acquaintances, bring everyone here, and get some food, like Taiwanese-style fried chicken. Drinks start around $17—which is, unfortunately, very reasonable for the area—and they're made with nerdy ingredients like matcha and chili oil." - Bryan Kim, Matt Tervooren

"Capacity: 75 The second floor of Jungle Bird is the best place in Chelsea to host the kind of cocktail party that says, “I’m wearing a $200 white T-shirt to my birthday party and I’m proud!” Like the bottom floor, the upstairs space has a mirror-backed cocktail shelf that stands proudly behind a marble-top bar. But since there are huge windows, less furniture, and wall-to-wall velvet booths, you’ll be comfortable while various guests buy you drinks that they’ll probably Venmo you for later." - Nikko Duren, Bryan Kim, Neha Talreja

"A lot of summer drinking have elaborate tropical themes, but Jungle Bird is really just a comfortable cocktail bar in Chelsea where some of the taps happen to be shaped like golden peacocks. And—in a neighborhood where it can be hard to find a normal bar—that’s part of what makes this place recommendable. We like to sit on the streetside patio and order rum drinks the color of Skittles. Join us." - Hannah Albertine, Bryan Kim

"Jungle Bird is a two-story, tropical-themed spot in Chelsea with a bar on each floor and several taps shaped like big golden peacocks - and if all of this sounds like a little too much, you should know that this place is actually pretty low-key. You can stand around with a couple of friends and have a good cocktail, or you can grab a big leather booth and hang out for an hour or two while you eat some snacks like dumplings or lotus chips. Consider this place a cooler, less hectic alternative to The Tippler, and use it for anything from a first date to some drinks with some in-laws." - Bryan Kim

"A new cocktail bar with tropical vibes hits Chelsea today, serving snacks that span several cuisines alongside its colorful drinks. Jungle Bird at 174 Eighth Ave., at West 19th Street comes from Krissy Harris, who previously served as head bartender at Gramercy Tavern and an opening partner at Bowery drinking spot the Wren. While her background is in fine dining, Harris tells Eater that with Jungle Bird she wanted to return to a throwback, 1950s-era when drinking cocktails was less buttoned up. Think high balls and funky garnishes and punch bowls. Though it’s tropical, the drinks are not tiki, which is its own specific style that is more ornate than what Harris says she’s doing at Jungle Bird. Here, the drinks will skew dryer and also feature few ingredients. Fruits like papaya, grapefruit, calamansi, passionfruit, and pineapple make appearances." - Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya