Waiting On A Friend

On our list of the best cocktail bars in New York.

Waiting on a Friend took over a corner of Avenue A in 2024, the second bar of that name in the East Village after an earlier one at First Avenue and St. Mark's Place closed a few years before. It's a strict 23-and-over room split into three sections around two full bars, built for dancing to whatever's playing and settling into living-room-style lounge areas. The bar keeps its own menu of signature cocktails alongside the classics.