Brandy's Piano Bar

On our lists of the best cocktail bars and live music venues in New York.

Brandy's Piano Bar has run for more than 35 years out of a small room on a side street off Second Avenue. A pianist plays live every night from 9:30pm to 3am, backed by a singing waitstaff working through show tunes and old standards, and it isn't unusual for an off-duty Broadway performer to grab the mic. The room itself is plain, all folding chairs and a long bar, since the piano is the point. There's a two-drink minimum and no cover, and seating is limited enough that large parties aren't an option.