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Death & Company
Death & Company
Photo via Death & Company/Instagram

22 Bars for Every Vibe in the East Village

From dive bars to cocktail lounges, this neighborhood knows how to drink

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Death & Company
| Photo via Death & Company/Instagram

From happy hour to late night, East Village is a popular drinking destination. It’s home to some of the top, legitimately grungy dive bars in the city but also to swankier cocktail joints. On this map, find bars for every vibe and price point.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Sake Bar Decibel

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Alongside its small plates, this Japanese izakaya specializes in sake, offering one of the lengthiest lists of the fermented rice wine in the city. There’s also a long list of shochus, which can be enjoyed straight or in cocktails like a take on a bloody mary made with shochu and tomato juice.

Sake Bar Decibel
Sake Bar Decibel
Photo via Sake Bar Decibel/Instagram

Mona’s frequently hosts live music events and has that grungy dive vibe of old-school East Village, with cheap drink prices to match (drafts are typically around $5 or $6). Catch bluegrass and jazz performances nightly.

Mona’s
Mona’s
Photo via Mona’s/Facebook

Pouring Ribbons

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This cocktail bar provides a useful scale for its drinks, rating them on a spectrum of refreshing to spiritous, as well as one from comforting to adventurous. The “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which ranks high for spiritous and adventurous, combines three kinds of gin, contratto bianco, cranberry liqueur, and yellow chartreuse. Colorful drinks are served in a den-esque space with lots of wood.

Pouring Ribbons
Pouring Ribbons
Photo via Pouring Ribbons/Instagram

Mace is a stylish but low-key cocktail bar that experiments with ingredients like scotch infused with shiitake mushrooms, basil seeds, and bee pollen. Its signature, namesake cocktail blends Aperol, aquavit, beet juice, orange acid, a Thai coconut cordial, and spicy mace mist.

McSorley's Old Ale House

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NYC icon McSorley’s has been around since the 19th century and was a men’s only establishment until the ’70s. It’s known for its cheap bar food and two beers: light and dark, which come in pairs of small mugs. Know the deal before going — which is that ordering one beer actually means getting two — because it’s the kind of place where newcomers will get made fun of if they don’t know the rules. But specific ordering traditions aside, it’s a laid back place where some regulars have been drinking for decades.

McSorley’s
McSorley’s
Photo via McSorley’s/Facebook

Burp Castle

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Burp Castle was one of the few bars to boast a long beer list when it opened in 1992, and now, it’s still a solid place to grab a Belgian beer in New York. It’s got a monastery theme, but it’s perhaps best known for being a quiet bar — meaning patrons are required to whisper. Bartenders enforce the rule by shooshing loud talkers; going with a group is a bad idea, but it’s an alluring set-up for an intimate conversation with a date.

Burp Castle Burp Castle/Facebook

Holiday Cocktail Lounge

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Holiday Cocktail Lounge used to be a bastion of old East Village, but the dive bar closed in 2012 and was revamped into a more modern cocktail bar a few years later. It maintained a lo-fi look but serves legit cocktails. Happy hour runs every day from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., except Saturday, and features half-priced beers, wine, and well drinks.

Holiday Cocktail Lounge
Holiday Cocktail Lounge
Photo via Holiday Cocktail Lounge/Facebook

Big Bar

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Big Bar is, despite the name, a tiny spot that’s ideal for a quick beer or a simple but well-executed cocktail. It’s low-lit and often crowded, especially at happy hour (Tuesday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.), when draft beers and margaritas are $5. Cash only.

Big Bar
Big Bar
Photo via Kiersten B./Yelp

Doc Holliday's

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This corner dive gets rowdy and is a dependable place to go in the neighborhood for a pitcher of beer. As with any solid diver, there’s a pool table and a juke box. Signs posted along the back of the bar declare that no PBR is served here and include several sassy reminders to tip well.

Doc Holliday’s
Doc Holliday’s
Photo via Joanna L./Yelp

Please Don't Tell

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As far as speakeasies go, PDT was an early adopter of the format’s resurgence. It’s located behind a phone booth in Crif Dogs, has notoriously long wait times, and has been a huge influence on NYC’s cocktail scene. It’s a must-visit icon and serves classics alongside inventive house cocktails.

PDT
PDT
Photo via Hazel C./Yelp

One of East Village’s dive bar relics, Lucy’s used to be called Blanche’s but was renamed in honor of its longtime bartender Ludwika Mickevicius who took over as the bar’s owner in 1997. PBR is the drink of choice here, and there’s also two pool tables. It’s cash only, so come prepared. Open until 4 a.m., it’s a reliable choice for the last stop of the night.

A bar’s backboard with a Sapporo-branded beer list.
Lucy’s
Photo by Nick Solares

Augurs Well Bar

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Craft beer geeks get into the draft list at Augurs Well, which regularly switches up its selection and highlights lots of local options. But the tiny room is also a favorite in the area for its unpretentious vibes, meaning beer newbies will feel welcomed, too. Lots of bottles and cans, plus some bar snacks, burgers, and sandwiches, are available as well. Happy hour goes from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., when all drafts, well liquors, and house wines receive a $2 discount.

Augurs Well Augurs Well/Facebook

Bua has happy hour every day (Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on the weekends from noon to 4 p.m.), serving draft beers for $2 off, $18 wine carafes, and select cocktails for $8. It also has cheese curds to cater to the Midwestern transplants, plus a killer fried chicken sandwich. The bar has a casual vibe, especially on its sidewalk patio, but the cocktails aren’t afraid to experiment, as with the margarita that has cocchi americano and mezcal for a touch of smoke and bitterness.

Bua
Bua
Photo via Bua/Instagram

Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar

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It’s not uncommon to see people start milling about outside of Upstate before its 5 p.m. opening time. They’re trying to snag a seat for the daily happy hour, which runs until 7 p.m. and features six oysters plus a beer for $12.

Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar
Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar
Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar [Official]

The Gray Mare

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There aren’t many places in NYC that offer $5 negronis, so Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., that’s exactly the reason to go to the Gray Mare. There’s a killer nitro espresso martini, too, and it goes for $10 at happy hour.

The Gray Mare
The Gray Mare
Photo via The Gray Mare/Instagram

Death & Company

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Open since 2007, Death & Company remains one of the top destinations for cocktails in the neighborhood, with a gorgeous bar and attention to detail in all of its drinks. There’s wine and beer, too, but it’s really all about the cocktails, which are displayed in colorful illustrations on its elaborate menus.

Death & Company
Death & Company
Photo via Death & Company/Instagram

Niagara

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For a night of dancing and a raucous vibe, Niagara is the spot to go. Live DJs provide the tunes regularly, and there’s a happy hour daily that features $4 drafts and wine. On weekdays, its from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on weekends, it runs from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A bar with tons of liquor
Niagara
Niagara [Official]

This bar with a year-round garden is most known for its burgers, but it also has a solid happy hour with $3 drafts Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. It’s a relaxed neighborhood spot, perfect for groups.

Royale
Royale
Photo via Royale/Yelp

Amor y Amargo

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Amor y Amargo serves up cocktails created by big names in mixology, like Max Green and Sother Teague. The menu organizes the cocktails on a scale of bitterness, and all run for $15. A cozy spot with a tiled bar, it seats less than 20.

Amor y Amargo
Amor y Amargo
Photo via Sara L./Yelp

The Summit Bar

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The East Coast oysters at dim, brick-walled Summit Bar are $1 round the clock, though there’s a minimum order requirement of six. There’s also a daily happy hour from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. featuring $8 pulled pork sliders, $4 cans of beer, $7 wine selections, and a list of seven different cocktails for $8, including a dark and stormy and a Moscow mule. There’s also a covered patio.

The Summit Bar
The Summit Bar
The Summit Bar [Official]

Baar Baar

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Baar Baar is an Indian restaurant doing really interesting things with cocktails, as demonstrated by its boozy lassi, made with gin, cashew, almond milk, egg white, cream, and orange oil. The drinks pay homage to different regions and spices of India and pair well with the upscale food menu of mostly small plates.

Baar Baar
Baar Baar
Photo via Baar Baar/Instagram

Whiskey and beer are the things to drink here, and dogs are even welcome at this bar that has over 100 brews on hand. Monday through Friday until 9 p.m., there are $5 draft beers, well drinks, and glasses of wine. A late-night happy hour from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. features $6 beer and shot specials.

d.b.a.
d.b.a.
Photo via Jackie B./Yelp

Sake Bar Decibel

Alongside its small plates, this Japanese izakaya specializes in sake, offering one of the lengthiest lists of the fermented rice wine in the city. There’s also a long list of shochus, which can be enjoyed straight or in cocktails like a take on a bloody mary made with shochu and tomato juice.

Sake Bar Decibel
Sake Bar Decibel
Photo via Sake Bar Decibel/Instagram

Mona's

Mona’s frequently hosts live music events and has that grungy dive vibe of old-school East Village, with cheap drink prices to match (drafts are typically around $5 or $6). Catch bluegrass and jazz performances nightly.

Mona’s
Mona’s
Photo via Mona’s/Facebook

Pouring Ribbons

This cocktail bar provides a useful scale for its drinks, rating them on a spectrum of refreshing to spiritous, as well as one from comforting to adventurous. The “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which ranks high for spiritous and adventurous, combines three kinds of gin, contratto bianco, cranberry liqueur, and yellow chartreuse. Colorful drinks are served in a den-esque space with lots of wood.

Pouring Ribbons
Pouring Ribbons
Photo via Pouring Ribbons/Instagram

Mace

Mace is a stylish but low-key cocktail bar that experiments with ingredients like scotch infused with shiitake mushrooms, basil seeds, and bee pollen. Its signature, namesake cocktail blends Aperol, aquavit, beet juice, orange acid, a Thai coconut cordial, and spicy mace mist.

McSorley's Old Ale House

NYC icon McSorley’s has been around since the 19th century and was a men’s only establishment until the ’70s. It’s known for its cheap bar food and two beers: light and dark, which come in pairs of small mugs. Know the deal before going — which is that ordering one beer actually means getting two — because it’s the kind of place where newcomers will get made fun of if they don’t know the rules. But specific ordering traditions aside, it’s a laid back place where some regulars have been drinking for decades.

McSorley’s
McSorley’s
Photo via McSorley’s/Facebook

Burp Castle

Burp Castle was one of the few bars to boast a long beer list when it opened in 1992, and now, it’s still a solid place to grab a Belgian beer in New York. It’s got a monastery theme, but it’s perhaps best known for being a quiet bar — meaning patrons are required to whisper. Bartenders enforce the rule by shooshing loud talkers; going with a group is a bad idea, but it’s an alluring set-up for an intimate conversation with a date.

Burp Castle Burp Castle/Facebook

Holiday Cocktail Lounge

Holiday Cocktail Lounge used to be a bastion of old East Village, but the dive bar closed in 2012 and was revamped into a more modern cocktail bar a few years later. It maintained a lo-fi look but serves legit cocktails. Happy hour runs every day from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., except Saturday, and features half-priced beers, wine, and well drinks.

Holiday Cocktail Lounge
Holiday Cocktail Lounge
Photo via Holiday Cocktail Lounge/Facebook

Big Bar

Big Bar is, despite the name, a tiny spot that’s ideal for a quick beer or a simple but well-executed cocktail. It’s low-lit and often crowded, especially at happy hour (Tuesday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.), when draft beers and margaritas are $5. Cash only.

Big Bar
Big Bar
Photo via Kiersten B./Yelp

Doc Holliday's

This corner dive gets rowdy and is a dependable place to go in the neighborhood for a pitcher of beer. As with any solid diver, there’s a pool table and a juke box. Signs posted along the back of the bar declare that no PBR is served here and include several sassy reminders to tip well.

Doc Holliday’s
Doc Holliday’s
Photo via Joanna L./Yelp

Please Don't Tell

As far as speakeasies go, PDT was an early adopter of the format’s resurgence. It’s located behind a phone booth in Crif Dogs, has notoriously long wait times, and has been a huge influence on NYC’s cocktail scene. It’s a must-visit icon and serves classics alongside inventive house cocktails.

PDT
PDT
Photo via Hazel C./Yelp

Lucy's

One of East Village’s dive bar relics, Lucy’s used to be called Blanche’s but was renamed in honor of its longtime bartender Ludwika Mickevicius who took over as the bar’s owner in 1997. PBR is the drink of choice here, and there’s also two pool tables. It’s cash only, so come prepared. Open until 4 a.m., it’s a reliable choice for the last stop of the night.

A bar’s backboard with a Sapporo-branded beer list.
Lucy’s
Photo by Nick Solares

Augurs Well Bar

Craft beer geeks get into the draft list at Augurs Well, which regularly switches up its selection and highlights lots of local options. But the tiny room is also a favorite in the area for its unpretentious vibes, meaning beer newbies will feel welcomed, too. Lots of bottles and cans, plus some bar snacks, burgers, and sandwiches, are available as well. Happy hour goes from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., when all drafts, well liquors, and house wines receive a $2 discount.

Augurs Well Augurs Well/Facebook

Bua

Bua has happy hour every day (Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on the weekends from noon to 4 p.m.), serving draft beers for $2 off, $18 wine carafes, and select cocktails for $8. It also has cheese curds to cater to the Midwestern transplants, plus a killer fried chicken sandwich. The bar has a casual vibe, especially on its sidewalk patio, but the cocktails aren’t afraid to experiment, as with the margarita that has cocchi americano and mezcal for a touch of smoke and bitterness.

Bua
Bua
Photo via Bua/Instagram

Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar

It’s not uncommon to see people start milling about outside of Upstate before its 5 p.m. opening time. They’re trying to snag a seat for the daily happy hour, which runs until 7 p.m. and features six oysters plus a beer for $12.

Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar
Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar
Upstate Craft Beer & Oyster Bar [Official]

The Gray Mare

There aren’t many places in NYC that offer $5 negronis, so Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., that’s exactly the reason to go to the Gray Mare. There’s a killer nitro espresso martini, too, and it goes for $10 at happy hour.

The Gray Mare
The Gray Mare
Photo via The Gray Mare/Instagram

Related Maps

Death & Company

Open since 2007, Death & Company remains one of the top destinations for cocktails in the neighborhood, with a gorgeous bar and attention to detail in all of its drinks. There’s wine and beer, too, but it’s really all about the cocktails, which are displayed in colorful illustrations on its elaborate menus.

Death & Company
Death & Company
Photo via Death & Company/Instagram

Niagara

For a night of dancing and a raucous vibe, Niagara is the spot to go. Live DJs provide the tunes regularly, and there’s a happy hour daily that features $4 drafts and wine. On weekdays, its from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on weekends, it runs from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A bar with tons of liquor
Niagara
Niagara [Official]

Royale

This bar with a year-round garden is most known for its burgers, but it also has a solid happy hour with $3 drafts Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. It’s a relaxed neighborhood spot, perfect for groups.

Royale
Royale
Photo via Royale/Yelp

Amor y Amargo

Amor y Amargo serves up cocktails created by big names in mixology, like Max Green and Sother Teague. The menu organizes the cocktails on a scale of bitterness, and all run for $15. A cozy spot with a tiled bar, it seats less than 20.