A cocktail night in Flatiron / Gramercy →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
< 0.1 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← New YorkDate night guide · New York
Best cocktail bars for a date in New York
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
224 spots · Jump to the list
These are bars you go to for the drinks themselves — a considered menu, careful technique, a bartender who can make you something that isn't on it. They sit best in the middle of a night: after dinner, before dessert, or as the nightcap. Restaurants with a strong bar are on the restaurant lists instead.
This guide ranks 224 cocktail bars in New York, from Williamsburg to Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill and East Village / LES. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights couples planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A cocktail night in Midtown Manhattan →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.7 mi
7:00 PMCocktails
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating · the top 24 of 224.
Sports BarCarreau Club
5.0(24)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill
Cocktail BarBarlume Downstairs
5.0(19)Flatiron / Gramercy
LoungeDaintree
5.0(15)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
BreweryBitter Monk
5.0(6)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$
Cocktail BarDokidoki
5.0(5)Williamsburg · $$
Cocktail BarOffCity
4.9(23)Astoria / Long Island City · $$
BarBlinky’s Bar
4.9(15)Williamsburg · $$
BarMommy's Cocktail Bar
4.9(14)Williamsburg · $$
ActivityPaint N Pour Lower East Side
4.9(9)East Village / LES · $$
Cocktail BarFoxtail
4.9(8)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$
Cocktail BarBateman's
4.9(7)East Village / LES · $$
Jazz BarBar Bayeux
4.8(26)Park Slope / Gowanus
Cocktail BarFolk
4.8(24)Park Slope / Gowanus · $$
Cocktail BarKissa Kissa
4.8(9)Prospect Heights / Crown Heights · $$
Cocktail BarBlueprint Cocktail Bar
4.8(8)Park Slope / Gowanus
Cocktail BarBanzarbar
4.8(8)East Village / LES · $$$$
Cocktail BarMedusa Bar
4.8(6)Williamsburg · $$
Cocktail BarMosaic
4.8(5)Astoria / Long Island City · $$
Cocktail BarDutch Fred’s
4.8(5)Midtown Manhattan · $$
Rooftop & Cocktail BarART Rooftop Bar at Arlo Midtown
4.8(5)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Cocktail barWitching Hour
4.8(4)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$
Cocktail BarThe Honeywell
4.8(4)Harlem · $$
Cocktail BarLunÀtico
4.7(26)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$
Cocktail BarBarely Disfigured
4.7(26)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Carreau Club in Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill, rated 5.0 out of 5. Barlume Downstairs and Daintree round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best cocktail bars?
- Williamsburg (4), Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill (3) and East Village / LES (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in New York?
- Yes — Bitter Monk, Dokidoki and OffCity are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a cocktail night: dinner, then cocktails, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.
Cocktail bars by neighborhood
Midtown ManhattanEast Village / LESFlatiron / GramercyWilliamsburgWest Village / Greenwich VillageSoHo / NoHo / NolitaCarroll Gardens / Cobble HillBushwick / RidgewoodChelsea / Hell's KitchenPark Slope / GowanusTribecaFort GreeneUpper East SideAstoria / Long Island CityHarlemUpper West SideChinatown / Two BridgesLower Manhattan / FiDi