The Resy Guide to Great Bar Food in New York

It’s impossible to feel cramped inside of Taru’s long, spacious, high-ceilinged bar room. You won’t want to go back to the subway or your one-bedroom anytime soon; it’s the perfect excuse to settle in for an order of housemade tofu, karaage chicken, and tako tempura. Don’t sleep on the uni-udon pepperoncino, with housemade noodles, unit, spicy cod roe, and shiso. Wash it down with the bright and flavorful Golden Girl (gin, mandarin orange, maraschino, and rosemary).

Enjoy a night at the bar in supreme style with The Golden Swan’s plush stools, gilded bar top, and green tile backsplash. Go all out (why not?) with an order of Osetra caviar served with wafer-style potatoes, French onion dip, and chives, or a charcuterie board complete with housemade pâté. You’ll be thirsty after all that indulgence, so make sure to grab one or two of their cocktails. We’re partial to the Golden Swan martini, made with mezcal and pineapple.

The former home of Pouring Ribbons (RIP, we miss you) on Avenue B remains a speakeasy, albeit now it also serves some exceptional Thai and Japanese dishes, too, from hand rolls and tom yum ramen to takoyaki and Thai-style oysters. 11 Tigers likewise infuses its cocktails with an array of Japanese and Thai ingredients; you don’t want to sleep on the Knockout Tiger, made with pandan house ya dong that’s smoked to order, or the Pink Panther, made with lychee-infused vodka, Nigori sake, yuzu, and citrus zest.

This cozy Harlem speakeasy, around for more than a decade, takes its inspiration from Almack’s Dance Hall, one of New York’s first Black-owned bars in the city. Opt for classics like a well-made Old Fashioned or Sazerac, then gild the lily with lobster mac ‘n’ cheese or fried chicken sliders.

Walk-ins only.

Whether you’re headed to the Lower East Side original or the newer Bar Goto Niban outpost in Prospect Heights, the go-to order (see what we did there?) involves the miso wings or okonomiyaki (savory cabbage pancakes). Pair them with one of owner Kenta Goto’s thoughtful drinks showcasing Japanese ingredients, like the signature cherry blossom-garnished Sakura Martini made with sake and gin.

Walk-ins only.

Come for the umami-laced MSG Martini, stay for chef Calvin Eng’s inventive takes on Cantonese American fare, from tinned dace fish dip with saltines to the char siu “McRib.” The bathroom, with its flashing colored lights and rave vibe, has its own fan base, too. We’d argue that there’s no better seat in the house (aside from the round table in the front with a lazy susan) than grabbing a seat at the bar here.

Compared to the landmarked original Dante, the West Village location has more sprawl, in terms of both the physical space and the menu options, too. You won’t miss the pasta when you have access to all the goods emerging from the wood-fired oven, from roasted branzino to baby lamb chops, or crispy baked potatoes topped with creme fraiche and osetra caviar. All the Italian aperitivos are here and then some, including an expanded Spritz selection.

As the name suggests, of course you’ll find fried chicken sandwiches galore, from hot honey to a Bolognese grilled cheese variation (and a smaller popcorn chicken “side” too). But you’ll also want to know that this buzzy cocktail bar has two sections: the more casual Front Room, with drinks on tap, and the Back Room, which takes reservations and features drinks inspired by favorite dishes, such as French Toast (Grey Goose vodka, roasted barley, brioche, coconut, milk, maple syrup, egg). Cue the joke about having your cake, and drinking it, too.

P.S. We know getting in here isn’t the easiest, so we’ve got you covered here.

Last summer, this Brooklyn stalwart re-opened in a new space, a block away from the original that opened in 2009. Soak up a tall, refreshing Bermuda Buck (dark rum, ginger syrup, lime) with creamy chicken-liver pate smeared on sourdough, or the substantial Oklahoma-style burger with two Happy Valley ground beef patties smashed with onions, then piled high with cheese, house pickles and special sauce.

To be honest, the first time we noticed that this cozy neighborhood bar was charging for bread and butter, we weren’t exactly thrilled. But it turned out to be very much worth it: a generous hunk of warm sourdough accompanied by a dish of softened, super-rich butter we wanted to face-plant in. Accompanied by a half-dozen oysters — the raw bar game here is strong, do note — it was substantial enough to tide us over until a late dinner. The cocktail menu is switched up regularly; a “Mean Girls” theme is what’s going on now, hence drinks like a milk punch-ed Long Island iced tea and a Calvados pistachio swizzle to a liquid version of what a Kalteen bar. Oh, and of course, there’s a You Go Glen Coco mezcal and coconut shot with “magic,” aka edible glitter.

Just when we thought old-school glamour was dead, this elegant bar opened on the ground floor of the historic, newly renovated Hotel Chelsea, just right for fancy date nights. The stiff $26 Dukes Martini, named for the iconic version perfected at London’s Dukes Bar, gets all the attention, but the trout roe beignets and dirty martini oysters topped with gin and manzanilla olive granita deserve love too.

No reservations for parties of up to five guests. For larger groups, email events@hotelchelsea.com to reserve.

Bonus: If you’re already there and in the mood for Spanish food, we highly suggest heading to the bar at El Quijote for an El Presidente and some chipirones.

Beverage director Amy Racine oversees the Water Street Bar, located within this modern French brasserie inside The Wall Street Hotel. While you can’t go wrong with a vermouth flight, the pro move here is to order anything from the raw bar — a dramatic multi-tiered tower if you feel flush — plus a “boozy mignonette” on the side: these small pours are a cross between infused spirits and sipping vinegars, which can be poured into oyster shells or sampled straight.

Ivy Mix’s relaxed “coctelería” centers spirits from Latin America and beyond, and drinks made with those spirits. The food also reflects Central and South America, meaning you can pair Leyenda margaritas, palomas and micheladas with a trio of tinga pollo tacos with tomatillo-avocado salsa, followed by churros dusted with almond and chocolate. The food here is part of the experience, not an afterthought.

No reservations for parties of up to five guests. For larger groups, call (347)987-3260 for reservations.

Aperitivos at Lodi will help ease the sting when your out-of-town friends want to play tourist at Rockefeller Center. Take them to this airy café from Ignacios Mattos (Estela, Altro Paradiso, Corner Bar) , where you can sip Spritzes and graze the extensive menu of antipasti and salumi, like the paper-thin bresaola. Pro tip: Don’t skip the bread, which is made in-house.

Bar pro Toby Cecchini rescued and re-imagined this bar, first opened in 1951, lavishing attention on the art deco fixtures (we love the “No Dancing” neon in the back) and some of the best cocktails in the city. But it’s also a great place to linger over dinner, especially if you can score one of the diner-style booths. Fried cheese curds nod to Cecchini’s Midwestern roots, and the burgers, made with single or double dry-aged beef patties and “fancy sauce,” will satisfy heartier appetites.

Walk-ins only.

Located in a former carriage house, Angel’s Share alum Takuma Watanabe is making elaborate drinks in the style of Japanese cocktail bars: think impeccable hospitality, artful glassware (like martini glasses with extra-thin, extra-elongated stems) and more than a little theatricality. The “snacks” — small plates by Masa and Eleven Madison Park alum Wayne Cheng — also impress, like kingfish crudo pickled radish, black plum, and wasabi oil, or creamy burrata with smoked trout roe and yuba chips.

One of the rare spots where a seat at a table is just as good as a stool at the semi-circular bar — maybe even better, thanks to a small fleet of tableside carts. Sink into a blue velvet banquette; before long, the bartender is pouring a super-chilled Dirtiest Martini direct from a bottle emblazoned with a James Bond label, adding just a dropperful of olive oil infused with gold powder, for extra shimmer. Next up, the chef arrives to wrap dollops of caviar within hand rolls, then wheels the cart to the next lucky table.