Bars I'm Thankful For, 2018

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Photo by rawpixel

Another year, another Thanksgiving. Last year I made a list of Bars I’m Thankful For. And because I’m a one-trick pony, I’m doing it again, updated for 2018. This list includes bars I love but haven’t reviewed, and ones I’ve reviewed so now I love them. Which makes this list different from the last one!

In this garbage fire of a world we live in today, we’ve gotta be thankful for the things that make it a little better. A toast to the places in this city I know I can count on. Bottoms up!


Manhattan:

Angel’s Share: 8 Stuyvesant St nr 3rd Ave, East Village (speakeasy cocktail bar)

Mace: 649 E 9th St nr Ave C, East Village (cocktail bar)

Pouring Ribbons: 225 Ave B btw 13th and 14th St, East Village (cocktail bar)

The Third Man: 116 Ave C btw 7th and 8th St, East Village (cocktail bar)

The Wayland: 700 E 9th St at Ave C, East Village (cocktail bar. Get the garden variety margarita. Trust me.)

The Randolph: 349 Broome St btw Bowery and Elizabeth St, Little Italy (cocktail bar with an excellent beer bar next door. Also there are several Randolphs now, so check out their website cuz there might be one closer to you)

The Penrose: 1590 2nd Ave btw 82nd and 83rd St, Upper East Side (cocktail bar)

Uva: 1486 2nd Ave nr E 77th St, Upper East Side (wine bar)

French Roast: 2340 Broadway at W 85th St, Upper West Side (24/7 cafe-bar-restaurant. If French Roast isn’t the definition of reliability, I don’t know what is.)

Bar Moga: 128 W Houston St at Sullivan St, Greenwich Village (20’s-style Japanese cocktail bar)

Dante: 79-81 Macdougal St btw Bleecker and W Houston St, Greenwich Village (Italian cafe/cocktail bar. They have an entire menu of Negronis!)

Existing Conditions: 35 W 8th St btw 5th and 6th Aves, Greenwich Village (excellent, sciencey yet unpretentious cocktail bar)

The Up & Up: 116 Macdougal St at Minetta Ln, Greenwich Village (the cocktail bar that, for me, started it all)

Bathtub Gin: 132 9th Ave btw 18th and 19th St, Chelsea (speakeasy cocktail bar where I used to work. Pro tip: go between 5pm-7pm before it gets too crowded. And go Monday night because it's jazz night.)

Cooper’s: 169 8th Ave btw 18th and 19th St, Chelsea (pub-y bar/restaurant that has good food and good beer. There’s also one in the East Village, but I like this one more.)

Henry at Life Hotel: 19 W 31st St btw 5th Ave and Broadway, Midtown West (a chic cocktail bar/restaurant that’s open all day)

BlackTail: 22 Battery Place at Pier A Harbor House, Battery Park (Cuban-style cocktail bar)


Brooklyn:

denizen: 88 Roebling St at N 7th St, Williamsburg (wine bar)

The Four Horsemen: 295 Grand St btw Roebling and Havemeyer, Williamsburg (wine bar)

Huckleberry Bar: 588 Grand St btw Lorimer and Leonard St, Williamsburg (cocktail bar and maybe my favorite bar on earth)

Noorman’s Kil: 609 Grand St btw Lorimer and Leonard St, Williamsburg (whiskey and grilled cheese, it’s perfect)

Pine Box Rock Shop: 12 Grattan St btw Bogart St and Morgan Ave, East Williamsburg (beer bar with killer vegan empanadas)

The Topaz: 251 Bushwick Ave btw Montrose and Johnson Ave, East Williamsburg (cocktail bar)

Ramona: 113 Franklin St btw Greenpoint Ave and Kent St, Greenpoint (cocktail bar)

Torst: 615 Manhattan Ave nr Nassau Ave, Greenpoint (beer bar with a Danish aesthetic)

Fulton Hall: 250 Ashland Pl at Fulton St, Fort Greene (a sports bar that, dare I say, I love)

No. 7: 7 Greene Ave at S Oxford St, Fort Greene (bar/restaurant with broccoli tacos I could eat every day)

Olea: 171 Lafayette Ave at Adelphi St, Fort Greene (delicious Mediterranean restaurant that has a cute little bar)

Gold Star Beer Counter: 176 Underhill Ave at Sterling Pl, Prospect Heights (fun beer bar with an awesome selection)

Pacific Standard: 82 4th Ave at St Marks Pl, Park Slope (chill bar to watch big events if you don’t have cable)

Clover Club: 210 Smith St btw Baltic and Butler St, Cobble Hill (one of my favorite cocktail bars)

Grand Army: 336 State St at Hoyt St, Boerum Hill (cocktail bar. They also have oysters if you care about that.)

Butter & Scotch: 818 Franklin Ave btw Union St and Eastern Pkwy, Crown Heights (dessert/cocktail bar that uses the hashtag #bitcheslovesprinkles)

Chavela’s: 736 Franklin Ave at Sterling Pl, Crown Heights (Mexican restaurant with great margaritas. Every time I go here I run into someone who went to my college.)

Wheated: 905 Church Ave btw Coney Island Ave and E 10th St, Flatbush (pizza and cocktails, what more could you want?)


Queens:

The Last Word: 31-30 Ditmars Blvd at 33rd St, Astoria (speakeasy cocktail bar)

Yeah I still haven’t really imbibed in Queens, The Bronx, or Staten Island. But that’s because I'm not that familiar with these boroughs! If you've got a spot in either Queens, The Bronx or Staten Island (or anywhere!) that you want me to check out, drop me a line at agirlsguidetodrinkingalone@gmail.com.


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