In your 30’s, the idea of going out or meeting up for drinks is a completely different experience than in your 20’s. When you first move to the city, a night out might go until the early hours of the next morning filled with dancing and multiple bar locations. A new decade helps evolve the perspective of fun. You’re looking to enjoy a glass of wine or interesting cocktails in a nice setting where you can catch up with friends.
The Nines
A piano bar in the former ACME restaurant space recently opened in 2022 and it has already been off to a busy start. The front lounge area has several bar seats for walk-in’s but where you want to be is the main room behind the red velvet curtains. Here, there are additional bar seats for walk-in’s (but get here early, as in right at opening) with a grand piano in the center back area of the space encompassed by booths and intimate tables for reservations. From the leopard carpeted floors to the red velvet accents and chandeliers, the Nines is trendy yet sophisticated – lively yet intimate.
Katana Kitten
Named the #10 in The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2021, making it the top rated bar listed in North America, Katana Kitten is a dive bar and Japanese cocktail bar hybrid. The atmosphere is approachable and low-key, which might be surprising given its ranking in the world’s top bars. There are two floors with a long bar and high top tables on the top floor and table seating with low bar stool seats on the bottom level. Though the menu has a variety of Japanese whiskeys to offer, there are plenty of other spirits and carefully crafted cocktails to choose from as well as light bites.
Dante
There are two locations of Dante in NYC, the original location in Greenwich Village and the new location in West Village. Dante was named #30 in the world’s 50 best bars in 2021. The new location is best for a meal and drinks while the bar in the original Greenwich Village location welcomes walk-in’s for drinks. Known for their extensive selection of negroni’s, Dante offers a dedicated menu called Negroni Sessions, all of which are $10 from 3PM to 5PM.
Nat’s On Bank
Nat’s on Bank opened in 2021 and has quickly become a staple West Village neighborhood gem. The bold font of its name is seen on the blue exterior, the same blue that carries into the main bar right as you walk in. The restaurant is a long, intimate space painted in a light green with pops of gold accents and creates a whimsical and fun atmosphere (there’s a disco ball in the bathroom). The seafood heavy menu also offers seafood platters to share along with a nice wine selection.
June Wine Bar
Located in Cobble Hill, June is a natural wine bar and restaurant set in a cozy space with a back garden. The space is dimly lit with small tables set around a long bar. The menu is extensive giving you plenty of options. The setting is a nod to a vintage Paris aesthetic and because of the smaller intimate size, is the perfect spot for a date or to catch up with a close friend.
Maison Premiere
Maison Premiere is a warm, New Orleans-styled oyster and cocktail bar centered around an oval shaped bar leading to a lush, green garden strung with bistro lights. Leather booths tucked inside the restaurant are perfect for groups or seats at the bar are right in the action to watch the absinthe cocktails being made or oysters being shucked. Walking into Maison Premiere makes you forget for a moment that you’re still in NYC. It’s a little oasis with a great selection of oysters and even better cocktails.
Hotel Delmano
Hotel Delmano is not a hotel – it’s not even a hotel bar. It’s a cocktail and raw bar in Williamsburg that has an old-school, slightly New Orleans feel to it. The cocktails are good and because the hostess keeps the traffic moving, you won’t have people hovering over your table and standing right by you while you enjoy your drink and company.
St. Mazie
St. Mazie has an unassuming exterior located almost right off the highway in Williamsburg and has a vintage aesthetic interior. It’s a low-key jazz bar and restaurant with live music in the back corner of the restaurant and a small garden in the back for a nice day. It’s usually the right amount of crowded but easy enough to get a table or seats.
Bar Pisellino
It’s hard to miss Bar Pisellino, right on 7th avenue on the corner of Grove Street usually with a crowd waiting out front for a table. It’s across from their sister restaurant Via Carota, which carries a line of its own for dinner. Many people try to hop over to Bar Pisellino to have drinks while they wait for their table at Via Carota. (And if you can’t get a table at Via Carota? Check out where to go instead). Bar Pisellino embraces the Italian spirit of aperitivo. The interior has a charm of its own but the seats outside make for great people watching, especially on a warm NYC day. This is the place that you can go to at any hour: in the morning for an espresso, in the afternoon for a spritz, in the evening for a night cap. Note: they won’t call or text you when your table is ready, they write your name in chalk by the door and will read it out loud when they are ready for you so don’t wander far.
B’Artusi
The team behind the West Village staple L’Artusi opened up a wine bar down the street. Not surprisingly, and very similar to its sister restaurant, B’Artusi has already attracted a crowd and drawn a wait for wine and small bites in their prime West Village corner restaurant. The space is welcoming with its kiwi green bar and black-and-white tiled floors and large windows allowing you to peer into the lively gatherings. In warmer weather, there are also outdoor tables.