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16 Restaurants With Action At The Bar
A guide to spots with good food, a fun atmosphere, and bar seating where you can get a solo meal or meet friends.
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ElNico
With impressive views, cocktails and Mexican food, this rooftop bar in Williamsburg is a triple threat.
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Elio’s
Elio’s is an old-school Italian restaurant on the UES that’s great for celebrity sightings.
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K'Far
K'Far is an all-day Israeli restaurant at the Hoxton hotel in Williamsburg. Come by for sandwiches and pastries during the day or a full dinner at night.
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Enzo's of Arthur Avenue
This huge red sauce joint is among the best on Arthur Avenue. Go with a group, and get a bunch of pastas.
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Prince Coffee House
Hanging out at this busy Turkish coffee shop on Arthur Ave. feels like you're in a cafe in Europe. Feel free to linger for a while.
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Corner Bar
Corner Bar is an upscale American bistro in a Lower East Side hotel where you can eat steak au poivre and oysters Rockefeller.
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Cucina Alba
Cucina Alba is a sceney restaurant in Chelsea that wants to make you feel like you're on holiday in Italy. It's a pretty space, but the food is just OK.
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KGB Bar
KGB Bar is a divey Soviet-themed bar in the East Village that hosts readings for the local literary scene.
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Saint Theo's
This West Village Italian spot from the people behind American Bar is very much a scene.
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Parcelle
If you care about wine and talk about it often, you’ll like hanging out at Parcelle on the Lower East Side.
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Lobby Lounge
Lobby Lounge is a fancy cocktail bar from the people behind Estela in the Nine Orchard hotel on the Lower East Side.
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Il Buco al Mare
Il Buco al Mare is perfect for a dinner in Amagansett that's not too fussy but still a bit upscale.
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The Crow's Nest
The Crow's Nest is one of the best restaurants in Montauk, with a menu full of crudo, scallops, and lobster pasta.
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Lullaby Bar
The next time you're looking for a bar that has house-party energy and interesting cocktails, head to Lullaby on the Lower East Side.
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Ding-A-Ling
Ding-A-Ling is an East Village cocktail bar with a '70s theme, a late-night scene, and a small food menu with a few different hot dogs.
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Frenchette
Frenchette is a French brasserie in Tribeca with an energetic room and a constantly-changing menu of rich dishes.
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Pianos
If you have ever been to Pianos to see a band in the back room, you probably didn't expect that it's the kind of place that would turn out some damn good bar food.
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Bowery Meat Company
An East Village steakhouse that doesn’t really feel like a steakhouse. And that’s a good thing.
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Pastis
The original Pastis closed in 2014, and now there’s a new location (also in the Meatpacking District). It isn’t as cool, but the food is still great.
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Lovely Day
Lovely Day is one of the most reasonably priced restaurants where you can still feel like you've had a fun night out.
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RH Rooftop Restaurant
RH is the restaurant on top of Restoration Hardware in Meatpacking where you can get design inspiration for your megayacht while eating American food.
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Bar Pitti
This sceney restaurant in Greenwich Village has a big outdoor patio where people go to be observed—but the classic Italian dishes are the real draw.