Around Brandy's Piano Bar
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.2 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMCocktails
← Best cocktail bars in New YorkDate night guide · New York
A cocktail night in Upper East Side
A proper drink between dinner and dessert.
6 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 6 cocktail bars in Upper East Side. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
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.
Around 2nd Floor Bar & Essen
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.4 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMCocktails
Around The Penrose Bar
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
< 0.1 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
7:00 PMCocktails
Cocktail bars in Upper East Side
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Good to know
- What's the best cocktail bar in Upper East Side for a date?
- Our top pick is Brandy's Piano Bar, rated 4.7 out of 5. 2nd Floor Bar & Essen and The Penrose Bar round out the top 3.
- Are there affordable cocktail bars in Upper East Side?
- Yes — Brandy's Piano Bar, The Penrose Bar and The UES are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for The UES, while The Mark Bar takes 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.
More nights in Upper East Side
Cocktail bars in other neighborhoods
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 / FiDiAll of New York