Hi, Here are some lists, I've used the second list a a lot. Happy birthday!
Nightlife & Entertainment: Best Manhattan Bars
You just want a place to meet your date -- or sit and ponder the lack thereof -- over a sophisticated (and substantial) cocktail. In a city where the number of bars outnumbers even Gaps, it becomes that much more difficult to differentiate the enabling from the buzz-killing. A new addition, Joe's Pub, inside the Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street; 539-8770), has the most compelling mix of modelizers and celebrities (Donald Trump, Jennifer Lopez, and, of course, Leo) ordering up the joint's signature Mojitos ($7), a mixture of white rum, fresh lime juice, bitters, and fresh mint leaves. Nightlife czar Serge Becker (Bowery Bar) has transformed a grungy office space into a swank boîte that achieves a denlike feel in spite of loft ceilings and an illuminated zebra-patterned bar. On Wednesdays, late-night salsa begins at 11:30; every other Friday features Future Proof, a performance of Indian-style drumming.
The dimly lit Temple Bar (332 Lafayette Street; 925-4242) is still perfect for a clandestine tête-à-tête. Cocktails are served in crystal martini glasses. The margaritas may be the best in city, but their Sidecar variation, called a Sidekick, with pear flavoring ($11.25), is a close second. The ideal "affair bar" has one drawback: The couple next to you is invariably getting it on.
If the transient drama of a hotel lobby is what you crave, King Cole bar, at the St. Regis (2 East 55th Street; 753-4500) remains true to form -- blue-blazered businessmen, prices as oversize as the wine glasses. For the cargo-pants-and-leather-jacket crowd, "the Horseshoe Bar," or 7B, as it's most often known, at the corner of 7th Street and Avenue B (473-8840), maintains a cult following. It remains Janeane Garofalo's saloon of choice. "The bartenders are always nice," she says. "And easy on the eyes."
Bars in the Big Apple
Every major street in New York has a bar on it. Bars tend to specialize in different crowds -- some cater to young business people, others to students. See the New York City Beer Guide for a more complete listing including brewpubs and microbreweries or our list of Irish Pubs in NYC.
American Trash, 1471 1st Ave. (btw. 76th St. & 77th St.), 988-9008
M-Su 12pm-4am
Huge barroom hung with oddities from Christmas tree stockings to prize ribbons. Swinging singles having a crazy time.
Barrow Street Ale House, 15 Barrow St. (btw. 7th Ave. & 4th St.), 691-6127
M-Su 11am-4am . Food served noon-3am.
Roomy neighborhood bar with $1 drafts all day Sunday and Monday and 5:30-9:30pm the rest of the week. Good selection of beers to boot. Pool and pinball downstairs.
The Bear Bar, 1770 2nd Ave. (btw. 92nd St. & 93rd St.), 987-3633
M-W 11:30am-3am, Th-Sa until 4am, Su 11:30am-2am
Impossible to miss -- stuffed black bears above and beside the door. Lots of cheap drink promotions, like $1 Mosseheads in the summer. $2.50 draft beer, $4 well drinks, $5 top shelf liquor. Cool, laid back Upper West Side atmosphere.
The Ear Inn, 326 Spring St (@ Hudson St.), 226-9060
M-Su 12pm-1am, or later depending on turnout!
Once a big bohemian hangout, this bar now caters to the SoHo baseball-cap crowd. Dark wood, mellow Blues, and tables with crayons.
International Bar, 120 1st Ave. (btw. 7th St. & St. Marks Pl.), 777-9244
M-Th 12pm-2am, F-Su 2pm-4am
Large and friendly counter seats most of the people in this place, which is heave with regulars and history. Year round Christmas lights and an old Wurlitzer jukebox. $2.50-3.50 bottles, $2.50 well drinks, $5.00 top shelf.
Max Fish, 178 Ludlow St. (@ Houston St.) 529-3959
M-Su 5:30pm-4am
Hip (bordering on pretentious) crowd, with plastic skulls lining the wall/ceiling. All CD jukebox is easily the best in town. A little expensive, but worth it say the locals. $2.25-3.75 bottled beer, $3 well drinks, $5 top shelf liquor.
McSorley's Ale House, 15 E. 7th St. (btw. 2nd Ave. & 3rd Ave.), 473-9148
M-Sa 11am-1am, Su 1pm-1am. Food served.
This is a New York city landmark. They don't serve commercial beer or hard alcohol, only McSorley's own Ale (light or dark).
Old Town Bar and Grill, 45 E. 18th St. (btw. Park Ave. & Broadway), 529-6732
M-F 11:30am-12am, Sa 12pm-12am, Su 3pm-12am. Food served. Type of food varies nightly along with the crowd.
Quiet hideaway with wood and brass. Cheap food and good beer selection keeps the regulars happy. $3.50 draft beer; $3 well drinks; $4-$4.50 top shelf liquor.
Peter McManus, 152 7th Ave. (@ 19th St.) 929-9691
M-Sa 11am-4am, Su 12pm-4am. Food served.
Made famous by a NY Times article on the "timeless appeal of ordinary bars." This is the epitome. Carved mahogany bar and leaded glass windows add to the charm. $3 draft beer; $3.75 well drinks; $4-4.50 top shelf liquor.
Red Rock West Saloon, West 17th St and Tenth Ave), (212) 366-5359
"Red Rock West Saloon (corner of Tenth Avenue & West 17th Street) is the top bar in town. The people that work there are the best. You cannot have a bad time at this place. An evening spent at the Red Rock is like a night spent with a good book: you have to pull yourself away."
The Shark Bar, 307 Amsterdam Ave. (btw. 74th St. & 75th St.), 874-8500
M-Su 11am-2am
Enjoyable bar and soul food restaurant. Live jazz Tuesdays w/ a $5 cover. Reasonable beer and food prices.
Boomers Sports Club, 349 Amsterdam Ave. (btw. 76th St. & 77th St.), 362-5400
M-F 5pm-2am, Sa & Su 11:30am-2am
This 2 floor sports bar just re-opened. It's one of the best sport club lounges in the city with food and drink specials on weekends. It's also the only licensed Ultimate Fighting Championship Broadcasting Bar in Manhattan.
The West End, 2911 Broadway (@ 113th St.), 662-8830
M-Su 11:30am-2am
Columbia University hangout (it's 1 block southwest of campus) once frequented by Kerouac. Huge sitting areas inside, with o.k. food served till 10pm. Back room hosts bands every Friday and Saturday for $0-10. Cheap pitchers.