Most weekends, the streets of the East Village are teeming with local in search of upscale cocktail lounges and disordered dive bars that would make your mother blush. The variety spans the gamut, so I thought it’d be fun to roundup the best bars in the East Village for any occasion. Let’s dive in.
Visiting New York City? If you haven’t decided where to stay (yet) check out our helpful guide on Where to Stay in New York City (The best neighborhoods for first timers +3 to avoid). Don’t have time? Here’s my favorite hotel in NYC, hands down.
Best Bars in the East Village
Table of Contents: East Village Bar Guide
Table of Contents: The Best East Village Bars
You might enjoy reading my quick guide on: 15 Iconic Things to Do in the East Village
#1. Please Don’t Tell
Website: Please Don’t Tell
Address: 113 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009
Best for: Award-winning cocktails
In New York City, speakeasies are a dime a dozen, but Please Don’t Tell feels different. Hidden behind a phone booth inside Crif Dogs, this celebrated East Village speakeasy exudes a thrill of discovery that dates back to the Prohibition era.
To enter, you’ll need to step into the phone booth, pick up the phone and press the buzzer — an experience reminiscent of the clandestine operations rife during Prohibition. Once inside, the dimly-lit bar takes on alluring moody vibes, making it one of the best bars in the East Village for a first date.
#2. Amor Y Amargo
Website: Amor Y Amargo
Address: 95 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
Best for: Bitters-based cocktails
No seats, no tables, just award-winning cocktails so good every sip feels like an adventure. Moonlighting as a storefront selling bitters, walk toward the back to find one of the best speakeasies in the East Village. The intimate standing-only bar is run by knowledgeable bartenders keen to impress.
Offering an exciting range of expertly-crafted cocktails, this bar is the go-to spot for locals who appreciate top-notch libations and relaxed vibes. My friend is a bartender at one of the city’s top bars and considers this one of the best speakeasies in NYC (which is saying a lot).
Turns out he’s not the only one that thinks so, Amor Y Amargo was ranked the 23rd best bar in North America in 2022. Come for the variety of amaro and specialty liquors, stay for the great service – you’re bound to have a great time at this local gem.
#3. Death & Company
Website: Death & Company
Address: 433 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009
Best for: Award-winning cocktails, speakeasy vibe
Voted the Best American Cocktail Bar and acknowledged for having the World’s Best Cocktail Menu, Death & Company is arguably the most popular cocktail bar in the East Village. You can’t make reservations in advance, so you’ll need to put your name on a waitlist and mill about until you’re called.
Don’t let that deter you, the wait is worthwhile. The talented bartenders will make you forget everything that came before you stepped foot inside. The extensive menu can feel overwhelmed to the untrained eye, fret not. Drinks are organized by categories like “light & playful” and “boozy & honest.”
Fill through the pages until you strike a note that fits your mood. From there, your options will narrow down to a handful of cocktails. If all else fails, ask the bartender for a recommendation, they always have something exciting up their sleeve.
#4. Motel No Tell
Website: Motel No Tell
Best for: Large groups and 80’s themed decor
One thing you learn after moving to New York City is that few things will surprise you the longer you stay. Enter Motel No Tell, a 1980s Palm Springs motel-themed bar with neon signs, loud music and strong tequila. Frozen drinks are the draw, especially during the killer happy hour when they go for $8 a pop.
This is one of the best bars in the East Village for large groups. The spacious venue can accommodate parties indoors and out, try to score the couch in the backroom if you plan to settle in for the night.
#5. Goodnight Sonny
Website: Goodnight Sonny
Address: 134 1st Ave., New York, NY 10009
Best for: Craft cocktails, date night
Goodnight Sonny is one of the best East Village bars for happy hour, especially if you love oysters ($18 for a dozen). It’s easy to assume that the neighborhood is reserved for dive bars and speakeasies exclusively, but Goodnight Sonny doesn’t check either box.
Instead, I’d consider this a regular cocktail bar. Airy and bright, the large windows flood the space with natural light in the daytime, replaced by candles after sunset to shift the mood for the intimate evening crowd. Oozing French bistro vibes, the bar feels relaxed and welcoming, I think it’s a great spot to catch up with friends.
#6. The Copper Still
Website: The Copper Still
Address: 151 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Best for: Whisky & Guinness
The Copper Still is known for offering an extensive whisky list and pouring a proper pint of Guinness. Featuring rare whiskies from Ireland, Scotland and America, the spirits menu at this East Village bar earns a spot on my husband’s list of the best whisky bars in New York City.
If you visit during happy hour, select beers and cocktails are available for $6 and $10, respectively. As for food, you’ll find traditional pub fare, from tater tots and buffalo wings to sliders. The Copper Still is a great spot to go if you’re on the hunt for pub vibes, it doesn’t disappoint.
#7. KGB Bar
The all red Soviet-themed KGB Bar is one of the most unique bars in the East Village. Leaning into the KGB theme hard, you might be disappointed to learn that this East Village bar bar doesn’t have any real ties to the Soviet Union.
Opened in 1993 by a Ukrainian immigrant, the space was previously used as gangster Lucky Luciano’s speakeasy and later a private social club for Ukrainian socialist. Oddly enough, the bar was named after the founder’s art gallery: Kraine Gallery Bar (Kraine is short for Ukraine).
But where’s the fun in that? Full of Soviet era relics, the bar played into the KGB fad unabashedly, to the delight of locals. The bar hosts tons of interesting events and fun open mic series on Mondays.
As for drinks, there’s a handful of cocktails and beers to choose from, but it’s mostly the vibes worth visiting for. Make sure to grab some matches on the way out!
#8. Tile Bar
Website: Tile Bar
Address: 115 1st Ave., New York, NY 10003
Best for: Cheap drinks, laid back atmosphere
Self-dubbed the best dive bar in the East Village, Tile Bar couldn’t be cozier, especially during the evening hours when it swells with locals. The bar has been a neighborhood staple for forty years and doesn’t seem eager to change for anyone anytime soon.
Don’t expect instagram-worthy wallpaper or trendy cocktails, this is the place to go for cold beer, great vibes and some of the best happy hour in the East Village.
Offering $5 drinks (well cocktails and beer), Tile Bar is a great destination to pregame before embarking on your East Village jaunt. Visit often enough and you’ll be on a first-name basis with the bartender, it’s that kind of joint.
#10. Hi-Note
Part radio-bar, part-cafe, the Hi Note is a swanky joint serving some of the best craft cocktails in the East Village after 5pm. Time your visit with the live music sets for a memorable afternoon or evening while visiting the neighborhood.
During the day the venue moonlights as a cafe (laptops welcome), but come night, the innovative cocktail menu never fails to surprise. I’m partial to the current lineup of summer cocktails, especially the Calabrian Spritz (bergamot, thyme and bubbles) and Guava Getaway (dill, guava, egg white, tequila).
Good to know: Hi-Note’s happy hour runs daily from 4pm to 7pm. $3 off wine by the glass, $2 off draft beer, $12 classic cocktails. Cocktails available after 5pm (beer and wine served all day).
#11. The Wayland
Website: The Wayland
Address: 700 E 9th St, New York, NY 10009
Best for: Live music, happy hour oysters
A popular destination for a dinner and drinks, The Wayland is a craft cocktail bar in the East Village with live music and great bites served in a rustic cabin-like atmosphere. The live music schedule varies, but there’s generally three shows a week.
The Wayland run a mean happy hour deal weekends from 4pm to 7pm. Oysters go for $10 per half dozen or $18 for a dozen, served alongside $10 cocktails, $5 beers and $9 glasses of wine. It’s a steal of deal.
East Village Bars (Post Summary)
- Please Don’t Tell
- Amor Y Amargo
- The Copper Still
- Motel No Tell
- Death & Company
- Tile Bar
- KGB Bar
- Goodnight Sonny
- Juke Bar
- Hi-Note
- Sake Bar Decibel
- The Wayland
Best Bars in the East Village (Map)
Further Reading for the East Village
Where to Eat in the East Village: 20 Memorable East Village Restaurants (Foodie’s Guide)
Happy Hours in the East Village: 12 Epic Happy Hours in the East Village (You Can’t Help But Love)
East Village Bakeries: 10 Top-Notch Bakeries in the East Village
Best Bars in the East Village: 15 Exciting Bars in the East Village (You Won’t Soon Forget)
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And there you have it folks! The best bars in the East Village according to yours truly. Let me know if you think we missed a spot.
Until next time, Al.
Thank you! But where is the map? I couldn’t click it on.
Tile bar is not cash only, they take card.
Thanks for the heads up Vanessa, we confirmed and made a change to the article!