From Red Hook to Midtown, there’s no finer thing in life than a reliably great dive.From Red Hook to Midtown, there’s no finer thing in life than a reliably great dive.
We can appreciate a perfectly mixed martini as much as the next person, but sometimes the finer things in life aren’t the finer things – just look at New York City‘s best dive bars as proof. Yeah, we’re talking about those places where your shoes stick to the floor, where the bathroom mirror has long ago been lost to bumper stickers and scribbled phone numbers, and the drink special is either offensive in name or instantly regrettable in nature. Where the food offerings are usually a bag of chips thrown across the bar, or something from a microwave if you’re really lucky.
Sunny’s Red Hook
253 Conover St (Red Hook)
Go-to order: A chilled bottle of Pacifico, especially when back patio is open in the warmer months, or a Dark & Stormy
Sunny’s Bar has been a Red Hook institution since 1890. It’s a bar and social hub where dark wood, live music, and quirky, nautical knick-knacks set the home-y, low-key vibe. An anchor of its neighbourhood, I’ve taken the ferry from almost everywhere you can, to end up here – whether it’s lively or not, there’s an old-school cool to it that is one-of-a-kind. In summer and the warmer months, sun shines down on tables abuzz out front and back; and on cold and cozy nights, the intimate space heats up to the sound of live music (local bands, often bluegrass and jazz, are booked in most nights). Just make sure to bring cash, or hit the ATM in the back.
Address: 253 Conover St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, United States
Website: sunnysredhook.com
Jimmy’s Corner
Go-to order: Campari and soda (cheap but small), or any draft beer
Jimmy’s Corner provides a rare and valuable service to New Yorkers: Not only is it a great dive, but it sits within walking distance of Times Square so when, God knows why, you find yourself wading through those neon-lit crowds in what most locals consider to be the eighth circle of hell, you can at least go, I know a spot nearby. Salvation awaits in narrow little Jimmy’s, which has stood in this exact place since 1971, where the walls are covered with boxing memorabilia – the founder, Jimmy Glenn, was boxer-turned-trainer and friends with Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson – the drinks remain dirt cheap, and you’re just as likely to sit beside a table of tourists from Spain as you are an off-duty performer who works in Times Square. Currently, the owners of the building are trying to close the bar; luckily, Jimmy’s son is fighting the good fight and I really hope he wins. I’ve taken it upon myself to support their efforts through many, many beverage purchases, and you can too.
Address: 140 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036, United States
Website: facebook.com
Gowanus Yacht Club
Go-to order: Hot dog and an ice cold Pacifico
You’ve heard the phrase, “find your beach” yes? Well, Gowanus Yacht Club is my Brooklyn beach. Don’t let the name fool you, this is a true dive bar: cash only, questionable bathrooms, cheap cans, and creaky picnic tables. This seasonal, outdoor dive bar brings beach shack vibes to residential Carroll Gardens. It’s a neighbourhood mainstay open from late spring to early autumn, and you’ll find locals spilling out of its tiny concrete patio on any sweltering summer day. Grab a Pacifico and a hot dog and you’ve got yourself an absolutely perfect afternoon. In December, the space converts to a Christmas tree lot where you can pick your pine against the backdrop of a Miller High Life sign. What more could you want?
Address: 323 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, United States
Website: @gycnyc
Kettle of Fish
Go-to order: Guinness in winter, Blue Moon in summer, or, if you’re feeling fancy, the Negroni that’s better than those in most WV restaurants
Walk downstairs and immediately obtain a beer in hand from the bar to the right. Walk past the bar, swing another right, and stop for a quick game of free pinball. You don’t think it’s free? Wait five minutes; it will reset itself. It’s always free for the ones who know. Win the game, and fist bump the people sitting in the loungers behind it. Continue walking until you find a table that can easily accommodate a group of four or more, then lock in for the night – because once you’re in Kettle of Fish, you’re not leaving. It’s a huge miss if you don’t make friends with the bartenders. They’re always having a good time and never hesitate to do a shot with you, often something cool they’ve created on the spot.
Address: 59 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014, United States
Website: kettleoffishnyc.com
Rocka Rolla
Go-to order: The coffee thing (coffee liqueur, brandy, whiskey, coffee, sugar, milk)
The last time I was here, my friends and I ended up playing cards with strangers for hours, one of whom promptly flashed us, then took her winnings while we sat there staring, and ran. It was worth it for the boyish grins plastered across our faces for the rest of the night as we recounted this mysterious woman’s perfect bust to anybody who would listen. I typically reserve dive bars for yucky days or late nights but Rocka Rolla is a glorious outlier thanks to its sometimes-sunny back patio. Between here, the pool table, and one of the many booths lining the windows, there’s plenty of space for drinking day and night. If you tire of beer, many of the affordably-priced cocktails are served in giant fishbowl chalices with round and crunchy pebble ice. The only one I would recommend in earnest is the “coffee thing” served in the iconic NYC blue-and-white paper coffee cup. For all the times I have stumbled in here after a long day of drinking in the sun and decried “just one more,” this ice-cream-like concoction is to blame for the second wind nobody asked for and I surely did not need.
Address: 486 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States
Website: facebook.com
Stonewall Inn
Go-to order: 2x Corona and lime to minimise back and forth journeys during a pool game
Stonewall Inn is a gay bar and National Historic Landmark, the site of the 1969 riots that launched the gay rights movement, and with its memorabilia-clad walls, the glow of its fairy lights, and its long, beer-stacked bar, it’s one of the most iconic dive bars to exist in history. Every time I go to Stonewall Inn, time warps itself, and I end up staying over 8 hours. The people are the best in the city. Have you ever played a game of pool and had everyone – we’re talking both teams playing and the entire bar collectively – cheering for you? After every shot? Especially when you’re as bad as I am? I’ve never been in a more welcoming, whimsical, joyous environment, which keeps me coming back week after week.
Address: 53 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014, United States
Website: thestonewallinnnyc.com
Ryan’s Daughter
Go-to order: Goose Island Hazy IPA, Ryan’s Daughter House Ale
I’ve been going to Ryan’s Daughter for years, starting back in 2016 when some friends moved to Yorkville and it quickly became their neighbourhood spot. It’s a super casual, laid-back Irish pub that’s been around since the late ’70s. Today, there’s a pool table, darts, and an arcade-style basketball hoop game, plus free bags of Utz chips often strewn about, which are always welcome after a few beers. It’s not a bar that takes itself seriously – just look up at the boots hanging from the ceiling for proof – or that discourages you from staying awhile.
Address: 350 E 85th St, New York, NY 10028, United States
Website: ryansdaughter.nyc
Do or Dive
Go-to order: The coffee thing, again
For as long as I’ve lived in New York City, I’ve enjoyed a certain itinerary: grab a cocktail in the cozy depths of Dynaco, then move a few doors up Bedford Avenue to Do or Dive for the remainder of my drinking. I’ve always viewed the two as fabulous complements: one pure class, one sleazy (and intentionally so – it’s in the name!). While Dynaco is unfortunately out of the equation for the time being due to water damage brought about by a fire (you can donate to their GoFundMe here if you care) Do or Dive remains, and it’s one of the city’s finest places to drink whether you’re partying or wallowing. It’s the type of place where you’re going to talk to strangers – they’ve even got a huge backyard with communal picnic tables for the warmer months, where patrons are in my experience always convivial. You would also be wise to sample their polarising signature slush, the $7 Frozen Coffee Thing (also available at sister establishments Skinny Dennis and Rocka Rolla) with bourbon, cream, and coffee grounds atop ice for ultimate grime.
Address: 1108 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216, United States
Website: doordivebedstuy.com
Banter Bar
Go-to order: A Guinness, a vodka soda, or whatever you like most when watching the game
Yes, it’s a dive bar – but more notably, the sports bar of the ‘Burg. During a game, it’s almost immediately obvious that people from all over the country flock here for camaraderie. With two tables outside, a handful inside (as well as a gigantic projector screen), Banter is a staple for European sports, from “football” to rugby and celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day alike. Of warm wooden bar seats and cosier booths, expect weekly trivia, a foosball, small bites of German pub food, and of course, loads of friendly banter (pun is intended). Despite what the website says, the bars’ hours rely on live tournaments and games all around the world. Trust – I used to live directly above it and hear the waves of celebrating crowds first thing in the morning for games already live in different countries.
Address: 132 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States
Website: banterbrooklyn.com
169 Bar
Go-to order: Don’t even hesitate on the Pickle Martini – ideally with a Pickleback shot to chase it
Listen: 169 has been a seedy Mecca since 1916, making it one of the oldest continuously operating bars in NYC and one of the most hauntingly continuous bangers of a bar, especially when you need a no-frills, late-night alternative. They say “dive bar”; you say “169?.” They say, “Pickleback shot with a pickle martini?” You say, “Well, I’ve already had three tonight.” My Sublime concert posters from high school would be honoured to realise that they are the embodiment of 169’s aesthetic in all its leopard print, neon lights, and palm tree glory. I can really only equate a night at 169 to what it feels like going to the book fair at school as a kid: everything is so funky, large, and hilarious, and I’m most definitely coming back to my friends holding the craziest thing I could find. What’s true is that the love of your life probably isn’t at 169 Bar. But you should probably pop your head in anyway, just to check.
Address: 169 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002, United States
Website: 169barnyc.com
Alligator Lounge
Go-to order: Allagash White + free personal pizza (!!!)
Even after its appearance in Nathan Fielder’s “The Rehearsal”, Alligator Lounge remains quintessentially low-key, with karaoke, bingo, trivia, comedy, and a pool table that’s actually fun (read: doesn’t stress me out). The best part? With every drink you get a red raffle ticket that gets you a free personal wood-fired pizza. Every drunk’s dream.
Address: 600 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States
Website: alligatorloungebrooklyn.com
Montero Bar & Grill
Go-to order: Twice as many drinks as you actually want, to get your karaoke songs in early
Montero’s has the aesthetic of a fishermen’s bar—thick ropes and knots a-hangin’, lifesavers mounted on the bar; it used to be an actual longshoremans’ hangout—and it also has karaoke administered by local legend Amethyst, who suffers no fools and can sing everything in perfect pitch, from showtunes to Fleetwood Mac. Get there earlier in the evening and buy your drinks right off the bat, which in turn will get you song request forms for karaoke. Start filling those puppies out before the room is totally packed and the wait time stretches. If you’re a gifted vocalist, then you’ll enjoy singing right there in the middle of the bar; if you aren’t, well, that’s fine, you’re in the majority, but at least pick something everyone else will enjoy singing along to as well. Because once karaoke starts, this is officially a karaoke bar. There’s a pool table in the back, which almost feels like an afterthought here. For a long time, Montero hasn’t changed a lick: But it was just bought by new owners, taking the reins from the Montero family for the first time since this spot opened in 1939. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for what new owner Crew does (or doesn’t) do to change things up. Hopefully not too much.
Address: 73 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States
Website: facebook.com
Doc Holliday’s
Go-to order: Whisky ginger
I have been staring blankly trying to remember all the things I love about Doc Holliday’s but for the dozen-plus nights I’ve spent in the back window booth it’s all rather hazy. For over 30 years, Doc’s has run this corner (Avenue A and E 9th, across from the Tompkins Square skate park), where gritty East Village meets a rowdy Texas roadhouse. They call themselves New York City’s “OG Honky Tonk” and from the get go, patrons are instructed via the outdoor chalkboard to “take your sense of entitlement elsewhere.” Country music croons from the juke box, boots dangle from the ceiling, and biker bartenders serve strong drinks and sass. The pool table is popular, naturally, but I’m partial to the Big Buck Hunter arcade game. If you come before 9pm, bring cash (and quarters) to play.
Address: 141 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009, United States
Website: @dochollidaysnyc
The Levee
Go-to order: Modelo and a Frito Pie
Being in The Levee means sliding into a back-room booth, cracking open a can, and contributing inconsequential comments to the conversation. It’s going to the bathroom to stare at yourself in a wet, graffitied mirror, thinking, “Yeah, I’m killing it,” then going out to play the worst game of pool known to man. Then, of course, doing that in a circular progression until 4 a.m. close. Every night I’m out here in the city, I’m without a doubt pushing the ‘we should just go to The Levee’ agenda until everyone finally buys in. I’m moonlighting in real time as a Levee ambassador. It’s the perfect laid-back, full-night-to-throw-away type of place. And the food is one banger after the next: sloppy joes (a vegetarian option, too – huge), chilli cheese dogs, and Frito pies. Pretentiousness couldn’t linger if it tried. It’s not just a staple of Williamsburg, but the blood-pumping heart of it—one that calls you at all hours, every day of the week. And is it? Is it so wrong to crack open a beer on a weeknight over free cheese puffs with your friends?
Address: 212 Berry St, Brooklyn, NY 11249, United States
Website: theleveenyc.com
Fish Market
Go-to order: Vodka soda and lime, or any draft beer
Excuse me while I reveal Condé Nast Traveler’s current happy hour spot, but credit where credit is due. Our offices in the Financial District can make it difficult to find a cheap boozer nearby (shocking that the finance suits don’t want the same sticky-floor establishments that media workers are drawn to), but thanks to a former Traveler teammate Sebastian Modak, we found our way to Fish Market a few years ago, and it has become the de facto destination for holiday parties, going-away parties, and random Thursdays since. The drinks are cheap (don’t ask for non-alcoholic anything, they don’t have it), free shots of Jameson are offered on the half-hour (and yes, the bartender will take one with every table), and the bar food is Malaysian, thanks to the owner’s mother’s recipes, meaning you can soak up your poor choices with tasty stuffed eggplant, shrimp dumplings, and scallion pancakes. They recently fixed the front door so there is an actual handle on it, but I kind of miss having to lift the bottom with my shoe, then reach up over the top to pull it open.
Address: 111 South St, New York, NY 10038, United States
Website: @fishmarketnyc
Anchored Inn
Go-to order: Miller High Life and the Carmen Fries
The Anchored Inn’s theme song could be “Yo-ho-ho, a pint of Guinness, and a damp, graffitied toilet with no mirror”. This nautical-themed watering hole is the kind of dive you want: great beer selection, amazing bar food, pool, hot people, and outdoor picnic tables that hit year-round. On any given beautiful day, you’re walking into Anchored’s first, refined barroom, and sitting down for loaded “Carmen fries” that come dripping in Oaxacan cheese, bacon, chipotle mayo, and more. You want to take it further? No problem whatsoever, just pop into the next room where they’ve got punk rock going with two big pool tables, arcade games, and a genuinely cool crowd. “A place to get fed and get drunk” is what Anchored Inn calls itself. That rocks. What more could you want in life?
Address: 57 Waterbury St, Brooklyn, NY 11206, United States
Website: theanchoredinn.com
Coyote Club
Go-to order: Frozen Whiskey Sour
Coyote Club is a reformed dirtbag, really. It has all the essentials of a good dive—no windows, pinball, cash-only, and a graffitied toilet – but what’s cool is it balances out with the charm with a photo booth, live DJ sets, and a generally sleek atmosphere. It’s enough to make me feel like it’s the mature older sister of NYC dive bars: she’s aesthetically Gen-Z, but she also certainly knows how to do taxes and contributes to a 401(k). That rings true from the extremely nice bartenders who are always doing vibe check laps to the artsy locals who let their kids hang out in a corner booth with a bag of chips so they can stay all night; and a dog named Bean, who I swear on my life is always kicking it like a real human, posted up on the bar stools. That’s Coyote, though – super relaxed, very welcoming, and not messy in the slightest. Every night is an A24 film. In the dive bar world of relationships, Coyote Club might just be a romance.
Address: 417 Throop Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11221, United States
Website: @thecoyoteclub_bk
Blue & Gold Tavern
Go-to order: Beer and shot combo, brother, beer and shot combo!
A veteran of East Village griminess and what I’m dubbing a strong contender for dive of all East Village dives, Blue & Gold is a haven for all walks of Manhattan life. It’s a family-owned dive bar that has been repping the colours of the Ukrainian flag since 1958, a misfit paradise that runs on its own time. Stepping into its unassuming entrance, you’ve got your college kids, your punks, pool table fiends, lovers, visitors, and chance-encounterers. You’ve got cheap-as-hell mixed drinks (cash only) and a classic assortment of beers. You’ve got breakups happening over cigarettes outside, years-old friendships solidifying in the booths near the pool table, and a bathroom that makes you want to not touch anything for at least 20 minutes until you forget about it. That’s home for these people, something the founding Roscishewsky family aimed for: the East Village’s extended living room.
Address: 79 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003, United States
Bonus Room
Go-to order: The $2 beer and (infamously good) burger Happy Hour on a Friday
I asked my friend, a local regular, to distill what being at Bonus Room is like. In less than two beats, I got hit with: “It’s packed at the bar, everyone’s yelling, the bartenders are yelling louder, it’s the best place in the entire world.” The atmosphere at Bonus Room will have you hating the most random things about other bars – like, Where is the karaoke and trivia night? Why isn’t your range as good as a $3 Bud to IPA and Guinness on tap to an in-house mixologist? And it’s the ultimate third space; behind the bar, there’s a photo of two regulars titled “Sunday Boys Forever.” That’s the kind of local craft we’re working with here. The music is good, aesthetic dive criteria is met, and the community hub is one of excellence, as expected from alumni owners of Bodega Wine Bar and Heavy Woods. Depression? Seasonal. Sero? It’s tonin’.
Address: 9-91 Wyckoff Ave, Ridgewood, NY 11385, United States
Website: @bonus_room_bar
This article was first published by Condé Nast Traveler.
