Best cocktail bars in New York

In New York City, speakeasies are a dime a dozen, but Please Don’t Tell feels different. Hidden behind a phone booth inside Crif Dogs, this celebrated East Village speakeasy exudes a thrill of discovery that dates back to the Prohibition era.

To enter, you’ll need to step into the phone booth, pick up the phone and press the buzzer, an experience reminiscent of the clandestine operations rife during Prohibition. Once inside, the dimly-lit bar takes on alluring moody vibes, making it one of the best bars in New York City for a first date.

Hidden behind a grilled window that reads “Tailors M&H Alterations” the venue Attaboy occupies was once the hallowed ground of New York’s most famous cocktail bar, Milk & Honey. The birthplace of many popular cocktails (including the Paper Plane and Penicillin), Milk & Honey was the unequivocal pioneer of the city’s craft cocktail movement since 1999.

When the bar relocated to Midtown in 2013, Attaboy emerged. Helmed by two Milk & Honey protégés who carried on the bar’s unrivaled legacy with fevered passion. The effort paid off when Attaboy was named the best bar in North America in 2022, the award’s inaugural year.

Moody and cozy, Attaboy only seats 28 people. The bar doesn’t accept reservations so getting your hands on the best cocktails in NYC requires some effort. You’ll need to wait in line to get added to the wait list, which can exceed 3 hours.

Once inside, you won’t even find a menu! Simply tell the bartender what you like and watch the magic unfold. All this to say, visiting Attaboy is non-negotiable for serious cocktail enthusiasts in search of the best cocktail bars in New York City.

Much like Attaboy, Death & Co. doesn’t accept reservations and wait times can easily exceed two hours during weekends. Dimly lit and sophisticated, when Death & Co. opened in 2006 the bar quickly established itself an undisputed modern cocktail vanguard.

A mere four years later, the popular speakeasy was recognized for having the World’s Best Cocktail Menu and voted World’s Best Cocktail Bar. Needless to say, Death & Co. has been influential in shaping cocktail trends across the world and is remains one of New York City’s best cocktail bars to this day.

They say you can only have two, good views, good quality, or good prices, but at Manhatta, you can have it all. Perched atop the 60th floor, the panoramic views at Manhatta are some of the most memorable of all the cocktails bars in New York City.

Best described as casual-upscale, dressing up is encouraged if you’re enjoying a meal at the restaurant post-libation, but completely optional if you plan to bunker down elusively at the bar. Appetizers offered, but the full menu isn’t available at the bar.

Katana Kitten is a celebrated Japanese dive bar serving inspired craft cocktails in the West Village. Helmed by mixologist Masahiro Urushido, the bar is a frequent flier on “best bars in the world” lists. Even time-tested classics like the martini are step up under Urushido’s watch.

The bar’s signature Hinoki martini is made with Grey Goose vodka, Spring 44 Mountain gin, fino sherry, Junmai Daiginjo, and cyprus tree essence, it’s one of the most unique cocktails in NYC. If you prefer traditional libations, ask the expert bartenders for your usual order and see where the night takes you.

Dating back to 1915, Dante slowly faded into oblivion until two Australians decided to breathe new life into the beloved neighborhood haunt in 2015. The result was striking, less than four years after re-opening, Dante was named the best bar in the world.

A jack of all trades, every cocktail is expertly made but the martinis steal the show. I can’t get enough of the playful variations on offer. I’m a huge fan of the citrusy “With a Twist” while my husband prefers the bar’s signature martini. Both martinis are discounted to $10 during happy hour (daily from 3-5pm) at the Dante West Village location.

There’s two Dante locations in the West Village (Caffe Dante & Dante West Village), and they’re only a few blocks apart, which can get confusing. During happy hour, Dante West Village offers martinis for $10 and Caffe Dante offers negronis for $10. The price/quality ratio can’t be beat, just make sure you route yourself to the right location.

Double Chicken Please’s unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries earns them a spot on any respectable list of best cocktail bars in NYC. Don’t just take my word for it, the bar was awarded Disaronno’s Highest New Entry Award in 2022 (bestowed upon the highest-awarded new bar to make the list of world’s 50 best bars).

Untethered by tradition, the menu at Double Chicken Please is inspired by comfort meals cleverly transformed into libations, like Mango Sticky Rice, Japanese Cold Noodle and Cold Pizza. In terms of (real) food, don’t sleep on the Taiwanese fried chicken sandwich (that alone is worth the pilgrimage).

Aptly named, Apotheke is an apothecary-theme cocktail bar housed in a former opium den. The appeal at this Manhattan bar is the overall vibe, mixologists in lab coats create inspired cocktails. Which are broken down into six distinct sections. Health & Beauty, Aphrodisiacs, Pain Killers, Euphorics, Stimulants and Stress Relievers.

Cocktails are referred to as prescriptions, feeding into the whole old-school European apothecary experience. Using organic produce and house-made ingredients, each cocktail is meticulously crafted with the precision of a pharmacologist.

Among the many innovative concoctions on offer, the most famous is probably the Deal Closer (Quinoa Vodka, Horny Goat Weed Tea, Cucumber, Mint, Lime & Agave, Vanilla Essence) which is a tantalizing blend of aphrodisiac ingredients.

Named after an Irish gang that ran rampant in lower Manhattan, the Dead Rabbit opened in 2013 by Jack McGarry. Hailing from Belfast, McGarry wanted to create an upscale cocktail bar with the atmosphere of an Irish Pub. Say what? Yet somehow it works.

McGarry is responsible for churning out some of the best cocktails in New York City. In the past decade, The Dead Rabbit has earned a slew of international awards, most notably being ranked the best bar in the world in 2016.

The cocktail menu is extensive so ask the bartender for suggestions if you’re feeling torn. Their knowledge of cocktails is mind-boggling. And if they suggest the bar’s signature Irish Coffee, say yes.

The West Village has the lion’s share of charming cocktail bars and speakeasies, but there’s something special about Employees Only. A staple in the neighborhood’s nightlife scene since 2004, you’ll need to walk past a tarot card reader before being granted access to one of NYC’s best hidden bars.

Employees Only was rated the 30th best bar in North America and 47th best in the world. Whether you’re after tried-and-true classics or. It’s one of the most popular cocktail bars in New York City, so make reservations ahead of time.

Started by adventurous duo Nico de Soto and Greg Boehm, Mace has graced the list of World’s 50 Best Bars for several consecutive years since opening in 2015.

The concept of this trendy cocktail bar in the West Village is simple, infuse every cocktail with adventure. The menu features extravagant libations made. But fair warning, getting reservations at Mace requires a miracle, so book in advance.

If you’re lucky enough to score a table, I recommend starting with the bar’s namesake cocktail, made with Aperol, aquavit, beet juice, orange acid, young Thai coconut cordial, mace mist, it’s one of the most unique cocktails in NYC.

Found inside the posh Carlyle Hotel, dimly-lit Bemelmans is arguably the most iconic bar in New York City. This popular neighborhood haunt has been a hot spot for celebrities since Truman commanded the Oval Office.

Leather booths and handsome murals (depicting Central Park in all four seasons) adorn the walls. The murals were hand-painted by Ludwig Bemelmans, the famed author and illustrator of the Madeline books, for whom the bar is named.

Peel your eyes from the wall and admire red-coated bartenders expertly crafting cocktails in quick succession. Pay attention and you’ll notice a disproportion amount of martinis, the most common cocktail at the bar. The reason? Bemelmans serves some of the best martinis in New York City (and locals are known for requesting them extra dirty).

Dive bar meets cocktail bar at the Up & Up. Home to a meticulously-crafted menu full of sophisticated drinks (with equally exciting names like Cursed with Curiosity and Flatter to Deceive), this subterranean bar gets a lot of play in my monthly rotation.

Comfortable and relaxed, the bar puts an emphasis on intimate gatherings over large groups (the maximum party size is six people). Service is reliably friendly and you won’t feel rushed, giving you ample time to linger. Better still, the Up & Up doesn’t blast music like most New York City bars, making it easier to hold a conversation.

During my last visit I ordered the Hold Please (mezcal, watermelon shrub, creme de cassis, grapefruit and lemon juice) while my husband enjoyed the Honorable Mention (rye, rancio sec, amaro averna, sherry and Angostura Bitters.) Per usual, both drinks were excellent but the menu changes so quickly it’s hard to keep up with recommendations!

A fairly new addition to the city’s vibrant bar scene, Nobody Told Me opened in 2019. The brainchild of mixologist Nick Pfannerstill and Chef Alberto Miranda, this Upper West Side bar quickly gained a reputation for laid-back vibes and sophisticated drinks.

Crafting creative seasonal cocktails in NYC, the bartenders emphasize locally sourced ingredients. One standout cocktail is the Copy. Hard to think of a better way to kick off a good weekend.

Helmed by famed mixologist Kenta Goto, Bar Goto offers unique cocktails infused with Japanese ingredients like miso, shiso, dashi and oolong. Seamlessly integrating Japanese flavors into classic cocktails, time-tested staples are step up under Goto’s watchful eye.

From the Ume Paloma (tequila, Wakayama plum, grapefruit, soda, salt) to the signature Sakura Martini (sake, gin, maraschino, cherry blossom), an open mind is the recipe for success at this popular NYC cocktail bar.

In terms of food, you’ll find a handful of comforting Japanese appetizers and small plates. The miso-doused wings and okonomiyaki (savory cabbage pancakes) are not to be missed.

My advice If you enjoy martinis, I recommend trying the Bar Goto Martini (vodka, aged sake, pickled green tomato), it’s one of my favorites in the city.