The Beauty Bar

On our list of the best activities in New York.

Deb Parker and Paul Devitt opened this East Village bar in 1995 inside a beauty parlor that had operated on the block for decades, keeping its chrome helmet hair dryers and vintage barber chairs in place behind the bar. The signature draw is still the martini and manicure: a cocktail purchase comes with a manicure at the counter, unchanged since the bar opened. A back room holds a dance floor with a disco ball and a hanging chandelier, where DJs and a running comedy night fill the room most weeks.