Part Two
If you are ever heading to NYC here are a few suggestions of where to wet your whistle, fun and very down to earth places, well all bar one, the last one, but still pretty cool to just hang out and watch the world go by, and easy enough to make you feel like a New Yorker. I personally like all these places as they are just FUN to hang out in. I hope it helps, Cheers! ( and put one behind the bar for me!)
Crocodile Lounge
Critics’ Pick
325 E. 14th St., New York, NY 10003
nr. First Ave. See Map | Subway Directions 
212-477-7747 Send to Phone
- Scene: WiFi, Bar Food, Game Nights, Neighborhood Bar, Outdoor Area
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The owners of Capone’s and Alligator Lounge, Williamsburg’s bastions of free pizza, have brought the brick-oven business model to the former home of the much-beloved Cellar. Though they’ve added some ferns, some lacquered beige-green tiles to the bar itself, and some crocodiles throughout (from the door handle to the ceiling), the real upgrade, besides the Skee-Ball machine, is a pizza oven doling out free six-slice personal pies to anyone who orders a drink. While the slices are slightly inferior to and dangerously hotter than those at Capone’s, they definitely are putting a dent in the business of the papaya joint down the street. The staff remains the same, as does the NYU crowd. Beyond a confessional-style make-out spot at rear is a door opening onto a patio. — Ned Vizzini (New Yorker Night Life)
ExtraWednesday is trivia night: The questions are hard, but the prize of free drinks might motivate.
Hours
Daily, noon-4am
Happy Hour
Daily, noon-6pm; $3 Yuengling drafts and well drinks
Nearby Subway Stops
L at First Ave / 3rd at 14th
Payment Methods
American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Pegu Club
Critics’ Pick
77 W. Houston St., 2nd fl, New York, NY 10012
nr. West Broadway See Map | Subway Directions
212-473-7348 Send to Phone
- Scene: Business Crowd, Bar Food, Hot Spot, Lounge, Romantic
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Mixologist Audrey Saunders, who made her chops creating the drink list for Bemelmans Bar, has teamed up with the owners of Flatiron Lounge and Zinc Bar to revive the art of the drink at this upstairs cocktail joint. The name pays tribute to a storied, late-19th century British officers club in Burma, and the out-of-context colonial style has a light, escapist feel—organic with palm plants, low wood tables that are both polished and rough-hewn, and East Asian-style dark wood grilles across the windows. It’s a natural for the silkily dressed dates and groups who make themselves comfortable on the rich brown velvet couches, or fill the bar area to standing room only. The house cocktails, made with all fresh juices and ingredients, reflect a master of the craft at play, beginning with the Gin-Gin Mule, spiced with homemade ginger beer, all the way to The Old Cuban, a champagne mojito. The infused Earl Grey MarTEAni is a clean, Brit take on a Pisco Sour; the Tantris Sidecar has a subtle sweetness, multi-layered with cognac, Calvados and Chartreuse; and the minty Whiskey Smash (honoring Saunders’ mentor, Dale DeGroff) tops any Kentucky julep. Smoked trout deviled eggs, coconut shrimp and other plates are on the menu, and cocktail condiments—droppers of lemon, lime, simple syrup and bitters—are set on each table. For something sexy, the Champagne Apricato is topped with a purple orchid. — Karen Hudes (New Yorker Night Life)
Official Website
Hours
Sun-Wed, 5pm-2am; Thu-Sat, 5pm-4am
Nearby Subway Stops
B, D, F, V at Broadway-Lafayette St.; 6 at Bleecker St.; N, R, W at Prince St.; A, B, C, D, E, F, V at W. 4th St.-Washington Sq.; 1 at Houston St.
Payment Methods
American Express, MasterCard, Visa
McSorley’s Old Ale House
Critics’ Pick
15 E. 7th St., New York, NY 10003
nr. Second Ave. See Map | Subway Directions
212-473-9148 Send to Phone
- Scene: Bar Food, Breweries/Beer Gardens, Classic NY, Dive Bar, Irish/Pub
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No matter how long you’ve live in Fun City, you can’t really claim residency until you’ve helped out a carful of Jersey kids demanding directions to “Mig-sahw-leez!” Like most Fodor’s-approved destinations, this ancient taproom’s modest appeal has been eclipsed by its resolutely un-hip reputation. Mugs of house-brand ale are served in pairs (like Twinkies)—one light, one dark (with your eyes closed, they taste identical). If you order anything off the spartan menu, make it the cheese and onion plate: The big slice of raw onion and hunks of sharp cheddar will arm-wrestle your senses to a draw, overpowering even the bouquet of more than a hundred years of spilt ale soaked into everything. — Bruce Bennett (New Yorker Bar Guide)
ExtraThe men’s room urinals are spectacular porcelain sarcophagi big enough to contain a body. The ladies’ room fixtures are decidedly less impressive, however, as women have only been admitted (by court order) since 1970.
Official Website
Hours
Mon-Sat, 11am-1am; Sun, 1pm-1am
Nearby Subway Stops
N, R, W at 8th St.-NYU; 6 at Astor Pl.
Payment Methods
Cash Only
Stout NYC
(Best place to go before or after a Rangers game or any MSG event, be warned, get there early!)
133 W. 33rd St., New York, NY 10001
nr. Seventh Ave. See Map | Subway Directions
212-629-6191 Send to Phone
- Scene: Bar Food, Billiards, DJ, Irish/Pub, Karaoke Nights, Live Music, Notable Beer Selection, Private Party Space, Restaurant & Bar, Sports Bar, Sports Leagues
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Dubliners and brothers Martin and Mark Whelan spent years perfecting their brand of Emerald Isle magic with pubs like St. Andrews and Maggie’s Place before opening this Superdome of taverns in 2005. But the 16,000-square-foot, tri-level megaspace — with its 36 large-screen TVs blasting rugby, fútbol, cricket, baseball, and basketball — goes beyond mere spectator sportsmanship with a subterranean “cellar” level with private billiard rooms and four dartboards often co-opted by leagues in the spring and fall. D.J. sets, live Celtic bands, and karaoke are also weekly occurrences, but most customers simply belly up to the 60-foot bar on the main floor to sample one of 200-plus beers, including the bar’s namesake brew, which comes in 30 bottled varieties and 20 rotating drafts. Irish pub grub, burgers, pizza, and a raw bar with oysters from both coasts round out the menu. — Lauren Salazar (New Yorker Bar Guide)
Official Website
Hours
Tue-Sat, 11:30am-4am; Sun-Mon, 11:30am-2am
Nearby Subway Stops
B, D, F, N, Q, R, V, W at 34th St.-Herald Sq.; 1, 2, 3 at 34th St.-Penn Station
Payment Methods
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
230 Fifth
Critics’ Pick
230 Fifth Ave., 20th fl, New York, NY 10001
at 27th St. See Map | Subway Directions
212-725-4300 Send to Phone
- Scene: After Work, Hot Spot, Lounge, Private Party Space, Rooftop, Swank, View
Profile
The staid marble lobby of the office building that was formerly the Victoria Hotel does little to prepare one for the scene on the 20th floor: If the 8,000-square foot room pimped out in walls of partitioned glass, dark op-art pile carpet, and purple fluorescent lights recalls Studio 54, it’s because the owner, art collector Steven Greenberg, has spared no expense in making it as lavish as his previous projects, the Roxy and the Palladium. The Sue et Mare couch came from Karl Lagerfeld’s collection, and a maze of other low-to-the-ground loungers such as a kiss-shaped velour loveseat are similarly flamboyant. The skyline twinkles beyond floor-to-ceiling windows framed by white curtains, but the scene is even more impressive on the massive roof deck where an endless array of wood benches and sturdy garden chairs invite no less than 500 quitting-timers and night owls to take in unobstructed views of the Empire State Building to the north, the Met Life building to the east, and Jersey to the west. As the palm trees rustle and the old-fashioned cocktails kick in, you can easily imagine Don Johnson landing his helicopter near the stuffed zebra and cruising for foxy investment bankers. — Daniel Maurer (New Yorker Bar Guide)
Official Website
Hours
Daily, 4pm-4am
Nearby Subway Stops
6 at 28th St.; N, R, W at 28th St.
Payment Methods
American Express, MasterCard, Visa
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