The Resy Guide to Bars and Restaurants for Music Lovers 

As soon as you enter Port Sa’id, you know you’re in for a different experience. You might need to yell at the hostess for her to hear your name to pull up your Resy, but that’s the idea. The restaurant is the city’s newest from Israeli restaurateur Eyal Shani, the same chef behind favorites such as Miznon and HaSalon. Here, at this New York outpost of his Tel Aviv hot spot, he’s collaborated with Los Angeles-based record shop and collective, In Sheep’s Clothing to bring a hand-selected collection of vinyls to the custom sound system, designed by One Away. Get ready for an eclectic, very loud playlist to accompany your charred beet carpaccio. And do save room for a slice of the burnt Basque cheesecake. It’s always a great place for a group dinner to start a night out on the town.

In the middle of an industrial block in Gowanus is where you’ll find the spacious Public Records. It’s an all-day music lover’s paradise. Grab an AM Americano or early afternoon kimchi grilled cheese and linger over a diverse array of sounds that can range from Radiohead to deep Ethiopian cuts. Many nights of the week, the Sound Room, a custom system built by Devon Turnbull’s OJAS, opens up and hosts DJs for ticketed events. A one-two combo of a Resy for dinner and post-dinner Sound Room cocktails sounds like the perfect night out to us.

If you can’t make it to Tokyo for the foreseeable future, this MacDougal Street izakaya comes pretty close to the Japanese listening bar experience. This place is a little different from many of the other spots on this list because it’s the guests, not the owner or DJ, who have a say in that evening’s playlist. The food, however, is up to the establishment and it’s a seven-course, family-style menu where you can expect artful plates like Kumamoto oysters with crab and a wheatberry apricot salad, or roasted corn okonomiyaki. Enjoy the sounds of Bowie, Sade, or whatever else the crowd picks from the vinyl menu.

At this Rockefeller Center multi-level bar, they take their playlists as seriously as their cocktails. The bar comes from hospitality veterans behind New York mainstays like The Jane Ballroom, Grand Army Bar, and Ray’s, and they understand what it takes to create a vibe; for starters, they have a killer OJAS soundsystem, just like Public Records does. Go early to enjoy innovative drinks like the Crimson and Clover, a raspberry and port-spiked whiskey fizz, and far better than your average bar snacks like sumac dusted sliders. Or arrive past 9 p.m. for a livelier vibe.

If you find yourself in Greenpoint and in need of somewhere with a killer soundtrack, Eavesdrop is a good bet. The intimate bar is explicitly designed for listening, not for dancing, but for sitting back and soaking up the sounds. It’s another one on the list that is modeled after the famed Tokyo phenomenon. Enjoy a Japanese-inspired menu of small plates like charred miso and pepper carrots or slow-cooked, sesame-crusted pork ribs. It’s worth noting they do brunch on weekends so if you’re more of an early bird, pop in for the morning set starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Any audiophile who has set foot inside the Nine Orchard hotel has taken note of that cult OJAS system throughout. The best place to take it in is in the hotel’s cocktail bar, Swan Room. The sophisticated, reservation-only atmosphere and grand high-ceilinged space make the sound quality shine. The playlists are as refined as the setting: Think Brian Eno, Éthiopiques, and Arthur Russell — songs that go down easily alongside some of the city’s most inspired cocktails, like the Umami Negroni made with mushroom gin, cynar, and white soy, or the tomato-spiked vodka Heirloom Martini with basil eau de vie and celery leaf.

Where better to listen to music while dining out than at the Williamsburg restaurant of LCD Soundsystem frontman, DJ, and producer, James Murphy? The Four Horseman has received wide acclaim for its food and carefully selected, all low-intervention wine list, but the playlist is worth noting as well. With speakers artfully hidden behind a wooden slatted ceiling, music resonates throughout the space and it’s a tasteful, eclectic mix of late ’70’s blue note jazz and ’60s French pop to Marvin Gaye. It’s a selection where you’ll find yourself asking the bartender over a glass of funky Beaujolais for the Spotify link.

Note: Here’s how to get into The Four Horsemen.

The MoMA-adjacent multi-level space’s airy, yet intimate vibe comes from its sleek design by ICRAVE, but the music is just as carefully considered. The state-of-the-art Bose and Yamaha speakers are artfully hidden in the design that you won’t even notice them. DJ Dash Brody curates a playlist for each service that can range from classic jazz to contemporary hip hop. For an extra special listening experience, be sure to check out the Ba53ment, their Wednesday and Thursday speakeasy with rotating guest DJs and a whole lot of caviar.

Email reserve@ba53ment.com⁣ for a table reservation at Ba53ment.


It’s hard to talk about Miss Lily’s without mentioning music; the restaurant has a link to its Spotify right on its website home page. The beats are Caribbean here, with lots of dancehall, reggae, and soca. Whether you walk in at 5 p.m. on a Tuesday or 10 p.m. on a Friday, it feels like a party. Get in the island spirit over plates of jerk corn, curry shrimp, and roti. Make sure to order a rum-based cocktail since they have more than 100 varieties, all from the Caribbean. If you want to go somewhere late night, the bar stays open until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights, and the soundtrack keeps going.

This bar’s name is a reference to their preferred musical stylings: vinyl over any mp3s or a Spotify playlist. The vibe here is rooted in a bygone era right down to the vintage Hi-Fi system. The cocktails are strong, and whiskey is the spirit of choice with more than 300 varieties on the menu. The sounds tend to be dominated by older classics as varied as anyone from Duke Ellington to Elvis. For maximum listening bar vibes, head to the back room where it’s a bit more intimate. On the food side of things, you’ll find hearty snacks like flatbreads, bone marrow, and cheese plates.

It’s best to get a Resy at this subterranean see-and-be-seen bar in Nolita to make sure you snag a coveted table. You might be lucky to catch a famous face or two as celebrities have been known to frequent it. The vibe is opulent, velvet banquettes, murals on the walls, and lamps on every table. With OJAS speakers artfully installed throughout the space, there isn’t a bad corner to take in the sounds. The bar hosts guest DJs on any given night of the week. Upbeat playlists can include electronic music, Lana Del Rey, and even Madonna. It’s a place to order an ultra-cold martini or any other classic cocktail.

At the top of Williamsburg’s Penny Hotel, you’ll find elNico and some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline. A DJ booth was an essential part of the floorplan here and an immaculate one at that. The restaurant hosts DJs on weekend evenings and has a late-night happy hour to go alongside it from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., with specials like mini martinis, oysters, and guacamole. When it comes to programming, elNico embraces local Brooklyn residents, especially in the Latinx community, playing a mix of upbeat Latin, reggaeton, and some disco, funk, and soul. It’s another great place to transition from a sophisticated dinner to a night out.

This East Village sushi bar might be one of the city’s best-kept secrets. It’s modeled after the Japanese listening bar experience where they have a killer selection of vintage vinyls and a DJ booth, but it also has an $80 omakase. If you’re not up for the full tasting experience, take a seat anywhere; there isn’t a bad one in the house when it comes to sound quality. They also have an à la carte menu of handrolls, sushi, and Japanese-style snacks.

As its name states, it’s all about the steak and the music at this Flatiron restaurant. The night’s playlist is chosen by the staff from the owner’s extensive private collection on vinyls and if you’re lucky, they’ve been known to accept requests. On any given night, expect to hear a varied playlist that can include anything from Springsteen and Coldplay to Johnny Cash. The menu is new steakhouse, with updates to classics like potato croquettes and short rib potstickers. Be sure to try the Vinyl Martini; it’s vodka, dirty, and finished with a dash of olive oil.

Another lively addition on the list, this Williamsburg restaurant is a great place to start a night out. The food is island style, meaning Caribbean inspired, and great for sharing. It’s crowd-pleasing favorites like oxtail-topped flatbreads and mango habanero wings. If you’re into live DJs, they host a music-filled brunch on Saturdays where you’ll hear soca throughout the afternoon from Brooklyn’s DJ Little Bee. If you can’t make it to brunch, you’ll find a great, upbeat soundtrack of reggae and soca any night of the week.

This Orchard Street bar, formerly known as Bongos, is all about the vibes. You’ll find the playlist filled with psychedelic folk, C-grade funk, and forgotten ’90’s RnB, is as eclectic as its guests. Owner Michael Bray creates the soundtrack and treats each evening like a dinner party at his home. Around midnight a full-blown house party has been known to break out, accompanied by house music and Italo disco. Most Thursdays through Saturdays, neighborhood friends play DJ after 10 p.m. They draw the shades, turn down the lights, and crank up the sound system. If you’re there on the early side, be sure to grab a burger; it’s simple, classic, and great fuel for the night ahead.

If you’re looking for some great food, music, and perhaps a little dancing all in the same place, the Lower East Side’s Las Lap is the spot. It’s the closest you’ll get to Trinidad’s Carnival without leaving the city. The musical selection is festive and heavy on reggae and dancehall. The menu is filled with Caribbean classics like chicken curry with rice and peas, beef patties, and a strong rum punch. They also serve a late-night menu if you happen to get hungry while dancing the night away at the bar downstairs.