Best Hangouts in Manhattan
Ten Manhattan hangouts built for lingering, from an 1854 ale house to an Inwood garden patio, each checked against what's actually open right now.
Your pick lands here
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- 1East Village · $$ · Astor Pl (6) · 15 E 7th St
Also No. 1 on Best Historic Bars in NYC → · No. 2 on Best of the East Village →
America's oldest continuously operated Irish saloon, open since 1854, with sawdust floors and a menu that has only ever had two beers on it.
Because the menu still has exactly two beers on it, light or dark ale, served two mugs at a time, the same way it's been poured since 1854.
Order The house ale, light or dark, two mugs at a time
Go right at the 11am opening on a weekday if you want a communal table without a line out the door, and expect to be served two mugs per round, that part isn't optional.
Photo: (vincent desjardins), CC BY 2.0 Photo: (vincent desjardins), CC BY 2.0 - 2East Village · $$ · Astor Pl (6) · 144 2nd Ave
Also No. 1 on Best of the East Village → · No. 2 on Best Late-Night Eats in NYC →
Ukrainian diner on the corner of 2nd Ave and 9th St, open since 1954, serving pierogi, borscht, and blintzes.
Because the booths on this corner have hosted late night regulars since 1954, though the true round the clock stretch is concentrated on Friday and Saturday nights now, not every night of the week.
Order Borscht, hot or cold, with a side of pierogi
If you want the classic 3am diner experience, go Friday or Saturday. On a weeknight, check current hours before you plan a very late pierogi run.
Photo: Antanana, CC0 1.0 Photo: Antanana, CC0 1.0 - 3Greenwich Village · $ · W 4 St-Wash Sq (A B C D E F M) · 119 MacDougal St
Also No. 4 on Best Coffee Shops in Manhattan →
Map ↗verified 13w ago1927 coffeehouse credited with introducing cappuccino to America, still pulling shots on its original 1902 espresso machine.
Because the espresso machine behind the counter dates to 1902, and it's still in daily use pulling the same cappuccino the cafe is credited with introducing to the country.
Order A cappuccino, the drink this cafe helped introduce to America
Weekday mornings before 11am are the quietest window for actually landing one of the small marble tables to yourself.
Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 - 4Hell's Kitchen · $ · 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal (1 2 3 7 A C E N Q R S W) · 627 9th Ave
Also No. 1 on Best Dive Bars in NYC →
Hell's Kitchen dive bar since 1933, marked by its six foot fiberglass pig and free hot dogs with any drink.
Because every drink here still comes with a free hot dog, a house policy that predates the six foot fiberglass pig standing guard out front.
Order A cheap domestic beer, since the hot dog is the real order
Bring cash, it's genuinely cash only, and the back patio is the seat to ask for in warm weather, especially right after nearby theater curtains let out.
Photo: Hyun Lee (hyunlab), CC BY 2.0 Photo: Hyun Lee (hyunlab), CC BY 2.0 - 5Chelsea · $$ · 34 St-Hudson Yards (7) · Pier 66, 207 12th Ave
Seasonal outdoor bar and grill built on a restored 1929 lightship and adjoining barge docked in Hudson River Park at W 26th St.
Because the bar itself sits on a restored 1929 lightship, and the wide deck around it is built for parking with a bucket of beer through an entire Hudson River sunset.
Order A bucket of beer, shared, out on the open deck
It's seasonal and weather dependent, so check that day's status before heading over, and arrive before 6pm on weekends if you want deck seating for sunset.
Photo: pburka, CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo: pburka, CC BY-SA 2.0 - 6Flatiron · $$ · 28 St (R W) · 1150 Broadway (between 26th & 27th St)
30,000 square foot rooftop bar and lounge with a greenhouse style garden, heated igloos, and Empire State Building views.
Because the rooftop stays open year round behind heated igloos and glass greenhouse walls, so the Empire State Building view holds up even in the middle of winter.
Order A rooftop cocktail, with the skyline doing most of the work
Go early on a weeknight for a table without a wait, and reserve an igloo ahead of time in the colder months since those book up fast.
Photo: andreasdantz, CC BY 2.0 Photo: andreasdantz, CC BY 2.0 - 7Lower East Side · $$ · Bowery (J Z) · 7 Rivington St
Manhattan's largest heated outdoor beer garden, modeled on a Cologne brauhaus, pouring imported German drafts alongside wine and cocktails.
Because it's built around long communal picnic tables sized for groups, not couples, and stays heated so the outdoor space keeps running well past summer.
Order A liter of imported German draft
Come with four or more people to make real use of the communal tables, and ask about extended hours Thursday through Saturday if you're planning to stay late.
@loreleynyc ↗Loreley Beer Garden
From @loreleynyc on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 8SoHo · $$ · Broadway-Lafayette St (6 B D F M) · 126 Crosby St
Nonprofit secondhand bookstore and cafe serving coffee, wine, and craft beer among the stacks, with all profits funding HIV/AIDS services.
Because every dollar spent on coffee or a used paperback here goes toward funding Housing Works' HIV/AIDS services, not toward a private owner's margin.
Order A glass of wine with a used paperback you didn't plan on buying
Take the mezzanine seating overlooking the stacks, and go on a weekday afternoon if you want a table without competing for it.
Photo: Marginalmonkeys (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Marginalmonkeys (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 4.0 - 9Harlem · $$ · 116 St (B C) · 2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd
Harlem wine bar and Italian Spanish restaurant since 2013 on Restaurant Row, with a zinc topped bar and a back garden patio.
Because it's the back garden patio, not the zinc bar up front, where regulars actually plant themselves over a bottle from the small producer wine list.
Order A glass from the small producer wine list, ideally out in the garden
Ask for the garden patio when you're seated, it's the better seat and books up first on weekend nights.
@vinateria ↗Vinatería
From @vinateria on Instagram, shown through Instagram's own embed player.
- 10Inwood · $$ · 215 St (1) · 600 W 218th St
Inwood's self described town hall, a cafe bar restaurant beside Inwood Hill Park with a garden patio, full bar, and coffee counter.
Because it runs a weekly pub quiz, drag bingo, and a knitting circle on its own calendar, treating the room as a genuine neighborhood living room rather than just a restaurant.
Order A coffee in the morning or a beer on the patio come evening, either works
Check the events calendar before you go, the weekly pub quiz and drag bingo nights are when the room is fullest and liveliest.
Good to know
- Is McSorley's really only two beers?
- Yes, the menu has exactly two beers, light or dark ale, served two mugs per round, that part isn't optional; go right at the 11am weekday opening if you want a communal table without a line.
- Where can I bring a big group?
- Loreley Beer Garden is built around long communal picnic tables sized for groups, so come with four or more people to make real use of them.
- Any cash-only spots?
- Rudy's Bar & Grill is genuinely cash only, and every drink comes with a free hot dog, so bring bills, especially right after a nearby theater curtain lets out.