Great Bars of NYC

“In a city once brimming with Irish pubs, McSorley’s Old Ale House stands out not only as one of the oldest still in operation but also one of the most iconic and beloved. It has remained standing through numerous moments of social upheaval in America, from the years before the Civil War to Prohibition, during which it continued to secretly serve alcohol by advertising it as “near beer…”’

“Although the Campbell has only been operating as a swanky cocktail bar since 1999, it’s been a famed room for far longer. Set clandestinely within Midtown East’s Grand Central Terminal, the space, also referred to as the Campbell Apartment, was once used as the offices—and man cave—of a mysterious Jazz Age financier named John W. Campbell…”

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“Having served coffee in Greenwich Village for over a century, Dante is a testament to the neighborhood’s rich history, evolving from a tightly knit Italian immigrant enclave in the early 20th century to a Bohemian area decades later. After changing hands many times across generations to reach its modern form—a trendy cafe, cocktail bar, and eatery—Dante is perhaps best known today for earning the coveted top spot at the annual peer-voted World’s 50 Best Bars event back in 2019…”

“With its illuminated billboards and crowds of tourists, Times Square is no longer the gritty slice of old New York City it once was. However, in the world-famous neighborhood that has undergone tremendous change within the last half century—from a seedy entertainment district to a sanitized corporate hub—one beloved bar has withstood the test of time…”

“Surviving in one of Manhattan’s now priciest neighborhoods for nearly a century, Minetta Tavern has aged gracefully from clandestine pub, to literary haunt frequented by the likes of Ernest Hemingway, to the chic West Village steakhouse it is today…”

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“Opened during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, Pete’s Tavern is perhaps best known as one of the oldest continuously operating bar-restaurants in all of New York City. Though it’s gone by several different names throughout the course of its history, the venue has always served booze— and was the city’s only bar that was legally permitted to remain in operation during the Prohibition era…”

“Nestled within the historic James Brown House, the Ear Inn stands as one of New York City’s most enduring drinking establishments, with a past dating back to the late eighteenth century. In its early days, it was situated just 4 feet (1 meter) from the waters of the Hudson River, where piers docked boats coming and going everywhere from California to China…”

“You would be forgiven for thinking that Beauty Bar, a salonturned-saloon, is much older than it actually is. Though it opened in 1995 in Manhattan’s East Village, it retains some of the original furnishings from its past life as a salon, including barbershop chairs and helmet-style chromedomed hairdryers from the 1950s and 1960s. Meanwhile, vintage perfumes from as early as the 1920s, as well as canisters of Aqua Net, the aerosol hair spray developed in the ’60s, line its shelves…”

“I’m staying here / Where I can get a song free with my drink to smooth things along, sings the punk band Bouncing Souls in their 1997 track, “Holiday Cocktail Lounge,” named after the St. Marks Place watering hole that its members frequented throughout the 1990s…”

Explore thirty legendary watering holes and discover how each of these has contributed to the social and cultural fabric of New York City. Also, it looks beautiful on your coffee table 🙂

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