$$$$Cocktail barLower East SideDaily 17:00-03:00
Attaboy on Eldridge has poured bartender-choice cocktails in the Lower East Side, New York City since 2013. No menu, no door bell, ring for entry.
TipRing the unmarked grey door. Order by mood and base spirit; the bar does the rest. Cash, card, no reservations.
$$$$Cocktail barFinancial DistrictSun-Thu 11:00-02:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-03:00
Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry's three-floor Financial District bar in New York City sits high in the World's 50 Best list. Order the irish coffee.
TipThe downstairs Taproom takes walk-ins; the Parlor upstairs needs a booking. Order Irish Coffee at the Taproom counter.
$$$$Cocktail barEast VillageMon-Wed 18:00-01:00, Thu-Sat 18:00-02:00, Sun 18:00-01:00
Death & Co on East 6th Street has set the East Village cocktail benchmark in New York City since 2007. Order the oaxaca old fashioned. At 433 East 6th Street.
TipWalk-ins only; the door takes names from 18:00. Wait at Hi-Fi next door for the text; it usually runs 90 minutes.
$$$$Cocktail barWilliamsburgMon-Thu 12:00-01:00, Fri 12:00-02:00, Sat 10:00-02:00, Sun 10:00-01:00
Maison Premiere on Bedford Avenue has poured absinthe and shucked oysters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City since 2011. James Beard winner 2016.
TipOyster happy hour 16:00-19:00 weekdays is the way in; the garden opens April through November and books weeks ahead.
$$$$Cocktail barEast VillageSun-Thu 17:00-00:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-01:00
Amor y Amargo on East 6th has poured bitters-forward cocktails in the East Village, New York City since 2011. Order the all-bitters cocktails.
TipTell the bartender you want a base spirit; they build around the bitter. Two drinks is the right ration.
$$$$Cocktail barUpper East SideSun-Mon 12:00-00:00, Tue-Thu 12:00-00:30, Fri-Sat 12:00-01:00
Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel has poured cocktails under Ludwig Bemelmans's Central Park murals in New York City since 1947. Located in Upper East Side.
TipWalk-ins after 18:00 carry a $35 minimum per person music charge. Earlier visits skip the charge but miss the piano.
$$$$Cocktail barLong Island CitySun-Thu 17:00-02:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-03:00
Dutch Kills in Long Island City Queens runs Milk & Honey's tradition of bespoke cocktail-making in New York City. Order the dutch kills old fashioned.
TipRing the bell; the door is unmarked. Tell the bartender what you have been drinking lately and let them choose.
$$$$Cocktail barNohoMon-Wed 17:00-01:00, Thu-Sat 17:00-02:00, Sun closed
Temple Bar on Lafayette Street has reopened the 1989 NoHo cocktail room in New York City. The espresso martini revival in 2022 happened largely in this room.
TipThe bar runs walk-ins from 17:00. Order the espresso martini at the bar, not the tables; the bartender pulls the shot.
$$$$Cocktail barSohoDaily 11:30-04:00
Ear Inn on Spring Street has poured pints to dockworkers in SoHo, New York City since 1817. The B in BAR fell off in the 1970s and stayed off.
TipSunday afternoon jazz from 14:00. The room is small and loud; the oysters are surprisingly good.
$$$$Cocktail barUnion SquareMon-Thu 11:30-00:30, Fri 11:30-01:00, Sat 11:30-00:30, Sun 12:00-22:30
Old Town Bar near Union Square has poured Bass Ale from a 55-foot mahogany bar in New York City since 1892. Order the bass ale draught. Booking recommended.
TipSit in the upstairs dining room for the burger; the bar is for the draught and the bar food. Cash preferred.
$$$$Cocktail barMidtownMon-Wed 11:30-02:00, Thu-Fri 11:30-04:00, Sat 12:30-04:00, Sun 16:00-02:00
Jimmy's Corner near Times Square has poured cheap beer and bourbon to off-Broadway crowds in New York City since 1971. Boxing photos on the walls, jukebox.
TipCash only. The bar takes Bud, Bass and Bourbon orders. Sing along with the jukebox.
$$$$Cocktail barWest VillageMon-Wed 12:00-00:00, Thu 12:00-02:30, Fri-Sat 12:00-03:30, Sun 11:00-00:00
White Horse Tavern on Hudson Street has poured Guinness in the West Village, New York City since 1880. Dylan Thomas drank 18 whiskeys here in 1953.
TipSit in the front room; the back is reserved for diners. The burger is the second order after the first pint.