Proletariat
When Jane's Sweet Buns operated out of this St. Mark's storefront several years ago, Proletariat was known humbly as the "the bar behind the bakery." Eventually, the bourbon-soaked sticky buns gave way…
- story: punch_intern2
Donostia
This tiny East Village tapas bar is a shrine to sherry and the Basque tradition of the pinxtos taverna—the ubiquitous incarnation of bar or tavern where locals gather to snack…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
Vazac’s Horseshoe Bar
Truly a relic of another era, Vazac's (aka 7b, aka Horseshoe Bar) is a hodgepodge of old man dive, hipster haunt (the two often blend together these days) and neighborhood…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
Momofuku Ssäm Bar
Cocktail menus within the Momofuku empire tend toward equal parts classic, almost-classic and brand-new, deploying everything from scotch to sherry to Asian ingredients—like yuzu, shichimi and shiso—with finesse. Since the days when madman-genius Don Lee…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
Alder
This casual cousin to wd-50, is where bar manager Kevin Denton adopts chef Wylie Dufresne's playfully experimental spirit in a rotating cast of cocktails—some available as "shorts"—that employ ingredients (like zershek,…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
Narcissa
A relative newcomer, Narcissa has quickly become a much-needed wine destination in the no man's land that is northern edge of the Bowery. The list, the handiwork of wine director Ashley Santoro splits its…
- story: Talia Baiocchi
Blue & Gold Tavern
Cheap as hell and universally likable, Blue & Gold is named for the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Its owners hail from the country, and it's one of the East…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
Lucy’s
Lucy has been bartending at Lucy's before it was called Lucy's. Most nights, the Polish owner is still there popping beer bottles and pouring whiskies. The bar, overlooking Thompson Square…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
Boilermaker
As its name alludes, there's nothing fancy about Boilermaker, the East Village venture of West Coast bartender Erick Castro and Cocktail Kingdom's Greg Boehm and Don Lee. There's also nothing immediately dive-y about…
- story: Leslie Pariseau
Pouring Ribbons
Above an ungentrified little stretch of Avenue B, Pouring Ribbons is a labor of love from Joaquín Simó and Alchemy Consulting. The bar—rendered in all shades of greens and blues—is…
- story: Leslie Pariseau