The East Village has it all when it comes to bars. From carefully crafted cocktails to a speakeasy hidden in a hot dog shop to one of the oldest pubs in America, there's something for everyone.
Below, check out some of our picks for cocktail bars, beer bars, and dive bars in the East Village.
Cocktail Bars
- Death & Co.
433 E. 6th St. (between 1st Ave. and Avenue A)
https://www.deathandcompany.com/
Cocktail bar, speakeasy
$$$
Yelp score: 4/5, The Infatuation score: 7.8/10
Widely regarded as one of the most influential cocktail bars in New York City, Death & Co. helped lead the cocktail revival of the 2000s—and more than a decade later, it's still serving craft cocktails in a dark, sophisticated atmosphere. The drinks are the main draw, but Death & Co. also offers a menu of small bites. - The Garret East
206 Avenue A (between 12th and 13th streets)
http://www.thegarreteast.com/
Cocktail bar, pizza
$$
Yelp score: 3.5/5
If The Garret's spacious interior, creative cocktails, and generous happy hour weren't enough to entice you, how about the taco shop hidden in the back? Borrachito ("little drunk") serves up a variety of tacos, ceviche, guacamole, and more, available until 11pm. - Good Night Sonny
134 1st Ave. (between 8th and 9th streets)
https://goodnightsonnynyc.com/
Cocktail bar, seafood
$$
Yelp score: 4.5/5
With an extensive cocktail list and a menu that focuses on small plates and seafood—including an expansive raw bar—Good Night Sonny is a great spot for an intimate drink or even a light dinner. - Sake Bar Decibel
240 E. 9th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues)
https://www.sakebardecibel.com/
Cocktail bar, speakeasy
$$
Yelp score: 4/5
Follow the neon "On Air" sign down the dark stars to an almost-unmarked door, and you'll enter the secret, stylishly graffitied world of Sake Bar Decibel. With nearly 100 varieties of sake available, Sake Bar Decibel prides itself on being "the closest to Japan you can get without stepping on a plane." - Please Don't Tell
113 St Marks Place
http://www.pdtnyc.com/
Cocktail bar, speakeasy
$$$
Yelp score: 4/5
Enter via a phone booth in Crif Dogs next door to access this cocktail spot known for their James Beard Award winning bar program and hot dog collaborations with NYC chefs.
Beer Bars
- Alphabet City Beer Co.
96 Avenue C (between 6th and 7th streets)
https://www.abcbeer.co/
Pub
$$
Yelp score: 4.5/5
With more than 350 varieties of craft beers in bottles to go—plus 12 rotating taps for guests to enjoy—Alphabet City Beer Company, or ABC Co. for short, is both a grocery store (complete with a craft cheese and meat counter) and a brew pub. "We're beer geeks, not beer snobs," they say—and reviewers rave about the friendly, informative service.
- Burp Castle
41 E. 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues)
https://burpcastlenyc.wordpress.com
Pub
$$
Yelp score: 4/5
Describing itself as the "Temple of Beer Worship," Burp Castle is known for three things: bartenders who used to wear monk robes (they stopped in the 90s), an enforced quiet atmosphere (you may be shushed), and an unbeatable beer list (with a focus on Belgian brews). Come for a delicious drink and a conversation you can actually hear.
- McSorley's Old Ale House
15 E. 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues)
https://mcsorleysoldalehouse.nyc
Pub
$
Yelp score: 4/5
Proudly established in 1854, McSorley's offers two beers, dark and light. It's cash-only, and until 1970, only men were admitted. It's vintage New York City, and you won't find anything else like it in the East Village.
- Proletariat (temporarily closed)
102 St. Marks Pl. (between 1st Ave. and Avenue A)
https://www.proletariatny.com/
Beer bar
$$
Yelp score: 4/5
Proletariat's motto is "Rare, new, and unusual beer," and that's exactly what you'll find at this narrow bar squeezed onto St. Mark's Place. Four-ounce pours are available, so don't be afraid to try a new brew or three.
Dive Bars
- Ace Bar
531 E. 5th St. (between avenues A and B)
https://acebar.com/
Dive bar, arcade
$
Yelp score: 3.5/5
With a happy hour that runs from 3-8 p.m. and a back room that boasts a pool table, pinball games, skee ball, a dart board, and more, Ace is a casual spot for, as its motto states, "No pretense. No fuss. Just fun."
- Holiday Cocktail Lounge
75 St. Marks Pl. (between 2nd and 1st avenues)
http://www.holidaycocktaillounge.nyc/
Cocktail bar
$$
Yelp score: 3.5/5
Consider it an elevated dive bar, or maybe an unpretentious cocktail bar, but you won't find anything else like Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St. Mark's Place. Don't be fooled by the dark, underground atmosphere: There are expert mixologists behind the wood-paneled bar.
- KGB Bar
85 E. 4th St. (between the Bowery and 2nd Ave.)
http://www.kgbbar.com/
Dive bar, event space
$$
Yelp score: 3.5/5
KGB Bar is both a vaguely Soviet-themed dive bar and an event space, hosting literary readings, comedy shows, and cabaret-style performances both in the main bar and in the back Red Room.
- The Library
7 Avenue A (between 1st and 2nd streets) https://www.facebook.com/librarybarnyc/
Dive bar
$
Yelp score: 3.5/5
Where the East Village meets the Lower East Side, you'll find The Library: a quintessential dive bar, complete with cozy booths, old movies playing via a projector on the back wall, and a 2-for-1 happy hour that runs until 8 p.m.
- Mona's
224 Avenue B (near 14th St.)
https://www.restaurantji.com/ny/new-york/monas-/
Dive bar
$
Yelp score: 3.5/5
With live music—bluegrass on Mondays and jazz on Tuesdays—plus a pool table, skee ball, and a juke box, Mona's stands out among East Village dive bars.
Written by Amber James