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 Midtown Manhattan to Astoria / Long Island City and Chinatown / Two Bridges. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Castell Terrace
Midtown Manhattan · $$
Bar Hugo Rooftop
SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$
Rooftop93
Chinatown / Two Bridges · $$
Same Same Wine Bar
Midtown Manhattan · $$
Ten Degrees
East Village / LES · $$
The Franklin Wine Bar & Bistro
Fort Greene
Cote Wine Bar
Claret Wine Bar
Astoria / Long Island City
Showing 217–224 of 224 spots
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Castell Terrace in Midtown Manhattan. Bar Hugo Rooftop and Rooftop93 round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best cocktail bars?
- Midtown Manhattan (2), Astoria / Long Island City (1) and Chinatown / Two Bridges (1) have the most spots in the top 8.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in New York?
- Yes — Castell Terrace, Bar Hugo Rooftop and Rooftop93 are all $$ 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.