Your Favorite Bars of New York: Tell Me
I’m writing and illustrating a book about favorite bars of New York — 50 of ’em — and I’m taking suggestions. I’m looking for the joints you love. Places that are like an extension of your living room where you can hang out with friends, read a book alone, or go to for sanctuary during those trying times that New York seems to continuously dish out with an enormous dirty ladle, like a fat army mess cook with big hairy arms, dull-eyed and machine-like, a twist to his sweaty lips which says “Just take it, bub.”
I’m looking for “Great Good Places,” from the top of the Bronx, out to the far edges of Queens, and all the way down to the bottom of Staten Island. What are your favorites? Lay ’em on me and they might wind up in my book which will be published by Rizzoli in 2017.
Turning My Favorite Bars of New York Into Art
The book grew out of an art project I started a couple years ago, celebrating some of my favorite places in Brooklyn. I drew six bars and made them into limited-edition silkscreen prints, which I’ve been showing and selling ever since. When I exhibited them, I put little wall signs under each one, waxing poetical about why I loved these places. A couple people suggested I do a book, so I talked to an agent, she liked the idea, and boom: now we have a book deal.
I could name several more favorite bars of New York that I’ll probably include (The Old Town Bar, Brooklyn Ice House and Corner Bistro make the short list), but I’m going to need help, especially with the outer boroughs.
So hit me with your suggestions (in the comments below or by email at johntebeau (at) gmail.com, and who knows? Your favorite just-divey-enough tavern in the wilds of Bensonhurst might make the cut and be immortalized by me and the good folks at Rizzoli.
From the first series:
51 comments
Being a boat lady, including the Frying Pan could be kind of fun! Also, the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden in Astoria. The only bar in the Bronx I frequented was the (mildly unattractive) Jolly Tinker, the local/only watering hole for New York Botanical Garden employees. Tip Top Bar and Grill in Bed Stuy is an absolute riot of a place (complete with President Obama wall clock), and Alibi in Fort Greene seems to be the only hanger-on from pre-gentrification days. You should have put a limit on the number of suggestions! 🙂
Thank you, m’dear! Good to get A LADY’S pov, especially some places I’ve not heard of.
I love these drawings! In the EV two of the classics I’ve memorably enjoyed over the years are Mona’s on Ave B and the great horseshoe bar dive on the corner of the park at 7th and B. Folks call it 7B, don’t even know if it has a proper name!
Yes, Mark! Those are both excellent. Haven’t been to Mona’s in a couple years, but was at the horseshoe place last month. Ordered a drink and BOOM: the power went out. Stayed dark in there for 45 minutes. The bartender never collected (too busy trying to find the fusebox or something) so I left a Hamilton and boogied.
Cindy VdB says you want fav bars. Here’s a few:
BK: Doris, 4th Ave Pub, The Diamond, Spuyten Duyvil, Pete’s Candy Shop
MN: Maiden Lane (10th and B), Clandestino
QN: Queens Kickshaw, Dutch Kills
Thank you, Jesse. I would like to hit one or two of those with you, the first round on me.
Hmmm… even though I’ve moved on to Portland, OR, the bars in NYC that remember fondly in my 10 years there (that are still there and not on your list already, I think) are – and it’s a long list for all the years in my thirties …
Brooklyn:
– Spuyten Duyvil on Metropolitan
– Barcade on Union
– R bar on Meeker
– O’Connors on 5th and Bergen
– Soda Bar on Vanderbilt
– Waterfront Ale House on Atlantic
– Park Slope Ale House on 6th
– Barbes on 9th (for the live music)
– The Diamond on Franklin
– Habitat on Manhattan
LIC
– Dominie’s Hoek on Vernon and 49th (it’s just an odd place)
NYC
– Bull McCabe’s on St Marks Pl
– The Ear Inn on Spring
– Brandy Library on Moore
– Pound and Pence on Liberty (it was my work bar)
– Ulysses on Pearl
– Fresh Salt on Beekman
– Mercury Lounge on Houston
– the original dba on 1st
– Drop-Off Service on A
– Croxley Ales on B
– Zum Schneider on C
– Pete’s Tavern on 18th
– Society Billiards on 21st
– The other Waterfront Alehouse on 30th
– Rattle N Hum on 33rd
– Blind Tiger on Bleecker (how could I forget?)
– and Barfly on 3rd avenue, the first bar I visited when moving to NYC
Damn! I just had a blast burning my lunch hour reliving those days on Google Maps. Many memories, fun project! I’m sure there are more I forgot … we used to go out a lot back then, now we have a garden in the country instead
(p.s. – holy cow I looked at a map and Washington Avenue in Brooklyn has sure changed …)
Hell of a list, Jon. You know your GGPs. In fact, you took me to a couple of my first BK bars ever: Mugs and The Gate, which both made the initial cut! See you soon.
– Whiskey Ward on the LES
– Nomad in Chelsea (more upscale but still a fave)
– Turkey’s Nest in Greenpoint
– Spritzenhaus in Greenpoint
– Brooklyn Public House in Fort Greene
– DSK in Fort Greene
– Old King Cole bar in the St. Regis hotel
– Louis 649 in the EV (defunct)
– 124 Old Rabbit Club in the Village
– DBA in the EV
– Clover Club in Cobble Hill
– Char No. 4 in Cobble Hill
– Bierkraft in Park Slope
You do NOT disappoint, sir! Miss you, man.
You must have Rolf’s in there – 3rd Avenue and 22nd Street. A sight to see anytime, but insane at xmas:
Then there’s Lilly’s on E. 16th Street: Gorgeous little place but you have to go off hours or it’s too crowded to get in.
And The Flatiron Room:
Would you believe I’ve NEVER been to Rolf’s or Lilly’s? Let’s fix that soon. First round’s on me. When can we make that happen?
John,
Here’s a few to kick you off. I’ve starred the ones with a more picturesque exterior.
Manhattan
Art Bar
Broome St Bar
Brooklyn Ale House (George & Jack’s Tap Room) *
Double Down Saloon
Dublin House *
Ear Inn *
Fanelli’s Café *
Fraunces Tavern
Holland Bar
Jeremy’s Ale House
Lucy’s Bar
McSorley’s
Milanos
Nancy Whiskey Pub *
The Patriot
PJ Clarke’s
Rudy’s Bar & Grill *
Spring Lounge *
Subway Inn *
Walkers *
White Horse Tavern
Brooklyn
The Charleston
The Commodore
Farrell’s *
Jack the Horse
Hank’s Saloon *
Montero’s *
Rosemary’s Greenpoint Tavern *
Ruby’s Old Tyme Bar & Grill
Teddy’s (Williamsburg) *
The Turkey’s Nest *
Queens
Donovan’s Pub (Woodside)
Neir’s Tavern *
Station Café Bar
Staten Island
Liedy’s Shore Inn
Holy moly, Len! This will keep me busy till 2017. Let’s hit a couple later this month.
Marys (South Slope)
The Gate (Slope)
Pencil Factory (Greenpoint)
Pearl’s Social & Billy Club (Bushwick) pearlssocial.com/
Puck Fair (west entrance)
I am sure you have McSorley’s
Horseshoe Bar (East Village)
Rudy’s (44th/9th)
Corner Bistro (GV)
Gowanus Yacht Club (smith st)
Botanica (RH)
Farrell’s (Slope)
12th STreet (Park Slope)
Pete’s Taven (Manhattan)
I am not sure of the current stiutation, but what about Chumley’s
White Horse Tavern
Bar and Books
Raccoon Lodge
Reade Street Kitchen
Puffy’s
Parkside Lounge
I have another but I have to wait for Kate to wake up.
Great list, Marty. Thank you. I really want to check out Puffy’s and Farrell’s. (When will you be around to go have a round with me?) A couple others you mentioned are already on my short list. Chumley’s still hasn’t reopened, but they rebuilt the building to scale. Inside could never be the same, though, unfortunately. Loved that place.
One correction, one addition.
The Brooklyn Ale House is (perhaps shockingly) actually located in Brooklyn, diagonally across from Teddy’s in Williamsburg.
In Manhattan – have to add the 169 Bar on East Broadway. So many lost memories from that place, like the time with that guy, you know the one – always wore a shirt?
Yes! I dig that place. And not only the shirt-guy, but how about the guy who always wore the hat? (Derby, to be precise—the owner himself, Chas. Hanson)
I would put in a vote for the Double Windsor, just kitty-corner to Farrell’s. This is in Windsor Terrace, of course. DW has such good beer. And I love the old movies they show. We watched Lassie there over a couple of red ales one night. They have these windows that open up in the summer time. They’ve got badass androgynous bartenders. I’ve had many a good conversation with a stranger at that bar. The bar’s two rounded corners facilitate that kind of thing. When I’m not there along, I bring my people to DW. There’s something about being 50 steps from Prospect Park, having a cold one in an old neighborhood where you can still get homemade meatballs (United Meat Market) or a giant slice of lemon meringue pie (Windsor Cafe). OH! OH! And they have THE BEST FRENCH FIRES ON THE PLANET. What more could you want alongside your cold beer? Nothing, that’s what.
Yes, yes, annnnd yes. Would you believe I STILL haven’t been to DW? What’s wrong with me?? I don’t know. We must fix that. Let’s go, first round’s on me. Fries WILL be et, you can count on it.
Some suggestions from Staten Island: the oldest bar in SI located in the New Brighton section is Liedy’s Shore Inn. One of my favorites Killmeyers Bavaria Inn (Charleston) and from my home town of Eltingville, Joyce’s Tavern.
Tony: I just read an article last week about the old sailor’s home on SI, which mentioned Liedy’s as a local fave of the residents. Glad to hear it’s still there, and I’ll check it out, along with Killmeyer’s and Joyce’s. You guys want to join? We can SI bar-hop, first round on me at each place.
John, definitely up for a SI bar hop. I will drive…you guys will love Killmeyers and through October the beer garden is open. Joyce’s is the quintessential “first place you have a drink” when you grow up in a small town. My mom would love to join us if okay.
That’d be great, man. Let’s day-drink with mom!
We just returned from Seattle and Portland and are now in NYC for quite a while. Let’s go while the weather’s nice.
Of course I do have a bit of an inside track for offering up suggestions, but for the benefit of public conversation, here are a few I love:
* Hi Life on the UWS
* Ice House in Red Hook
* Radegast in Williamsburg
* Fornino, in the Brooklyn Heights end of Brooklyn Bridge Park
* Arturo’s in Greenwich Village
Maybe while I tag along for scouting missions to some of these other excellent spots people have suggested, I can successfully lobby for a few of mine to make the cut.
Thanks, Col.
Oh, there are some GOOD ‘UNS here!
Thought I’d throw my hat in the ring, and apologies if a few of these are repeats:
– Montero’s (on Atlantic)
– Kilmeyers (Staten Island)
– Shenanigan’s (Kensington)
– Kelly’s (East Village)
– Doc Holliday’s (East Village)
– Sycamore (Ditmas Park)
– 169 Bar (LES)
– Hurley’s (Midtown)
– Rhythm ‘n’ Booze (Windsor Terrace)
– Denny’s Steak Pub (Kensington)
Hey, man, thank you for these. A couple repeats, but mostly not. I passed Rhythm & Booze a few times the past year or so and wondered about that joint. I’ll be sure to check it out. Sycamore: good call. Went there once and it felt like a real neighborhood favorite. Hi to Cindy. Hope you guys are well and TT is thriving.
I have to put in a word for the Kettle of Fish, 59 Christopher Street, partly because it occupies the site of the legendary Lion’s Head, one of the two greatest bars I’ve known, the other being the Bells of Hell, which was where Cafe Loup is now on 13th Street between 6th and 7th (Cafe Loup deserves a mention, too). The Kettle’s owner, Patrick Kelly, is from Milwaukee, and during Packers and Badgers games the place gets crowded with Sconnies cheering their teams while drinking Leinenkugel and eating the Wisconsin cheddar Patrick passes around. The Kettle, pre-Patrick, had an illustrious time in its original digs on MacDougal Street where, in the 1960s, it was a hangout for Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and other folkies. They were also known to visit the Lion’s Head from time to time.
The downside is that the Kettle is not attractively housed; it has a downstairs entrance with a small awning and a single window on the bar side (there’s another on the parallel lounge side).
A few doors away from the Kettle is the Stonewall Inn, which might be worthy of inclusion if only for historical reasons.
Hey, Claude, thank you. Wasn’t the Lion’s Head a Pete Hammill hangout? I think I read that in A Drinking Life. Good memoir, if you haven’t read it. I’ll check out the Kettle, for sure. Love my Sconnies and the legacy of the place. I once did a quick portrait of drunk Kerouac (was there any other kind?) propped up outside the old Kettle on MacD. I heard they brought the old “BAR” neon sign into the new location.
I just found this cool blog; as a lover of bars it’s right up my alley. I was in NYC this past April and visited BillyMark’s West, The International, Lucy’s, and the very strange and incredible Holland Bar, all in Manhattan. I remember one in Harlem from years ago called Touch of Dee. I miss the Mars Bar. I love Irish Haven in Brooklyn and the Punch Bowl in the Bronx. Can’t wait to get back.
Hey, Bill, thanks for the comment. I’ve been to a few of these, and am already considering Billymark’s and Lucy’s for the book. People just love those spots. I’m planning to visit Irish Haven later this month as well as The Punch Bowl. Your suggestions are spot-on!
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