Best cocktail bars for a date in New York
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
226 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 226 cocktail bars in New York, from East Village / LES to Midtown Manhattan and West Village / Greenwich Village. 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.
Mo’s General
4.3(12)Williamsburg · $
Honey’s
4.3(9)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$
Please Tell Me
4.3(7)Williamsburg · $$
Marian's
4.3(4)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $
Le Boudoir
4.3(4)Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill · $$
Dear Irving On Hudson
4.3(4)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Abe's Pagoda
4.2(24)Bushwick / Ridgewood
The Richardson
4.2(23)Williamsburg · $$
Ophelia Lounge
4.2(23)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Campbell
4.2(21)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Osamil Upstairs
4.2(20)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$
Katana Kitten
4.2(20)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Death & Company
4.2(19)East Village / LES · $$$
Waiting On A Friend
4.2(17)East Village / LES · $$
Sweet Polly
4.2(12)Park Slope / Gowanus · $$
Donna
4.2(12)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$
Bar Goto
4.2(9)East Village / LES · $$
Doris
4.2(6)Fort Greene · $$
Lovers of Today
4.1(25)East Village / LES · $$
Darling Rooftop Bar
4.1(25)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Angel's Share
4.1(24)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Experimental Cocktail Club
4.1(21)Flatiron / Gramercy · $$
Orient Express
4.1(20)West Village / Greenwich Village · $$$
Romeos
4.1(18)East Village / LES · $$
Showing 121–144 of 226 spots
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Mo’s General in Williamsburg, rated 4.3 out of 5. Honey’s and Please Tell Me round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best cocktail bars?
- East Village / LES (5), Midtown Manhattan (4) and West Village / Greenwich Village (4) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in New York?
- Yes — Mo’s General, Honey’s and Please Tell Me are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Experimental Cocktail Club, while Bar Goto and Angel's Share take walk-ins.
- 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.