The East Village is the most bar-rich neighborhood in New York City and the second-most alcohol-saturated zipcode in America, according to The Huffington Post. That said, it comes as no surprise that some of the city’s (and, as it turns out, the country’s) best bars are right in this very neighborhood. But with such an impressive selection to choose from, how does one separate the good from the bad? We’ve got you covered: after some extensive research on the East Village’s top-rated bars and of course some testing of our own (naturally), we pruned the list down to only the finest few. So whether you’re into dirty little dives or classy, upscale establishments, we’ve got a bar to suit your tastes.
First honorable mention is the lovable McSorley’s, the oldest Irish tavern in the city, 'Critic’s Picked' by New York Magazine for its 'modest appeal' and labeled ‘the undisputed champion of New York City drinking institutions for the frat boy in all of us.' It scores excellent reviews from Yelp (‘nothing’s better than grabbing a few pints of their dark ale and sitting next to their wooden stove’) and Beer Advocate (‘this place is incredible; the walls are literally covered with New York history’). According to Shecky's Nightlife, it's a no-frills, unpretentious little dive worth checking out, if you haven’t already.
If you’re more into cocktail-sipping than beer-chugging, however, you’ll be glad to know that our next bar pick is the ultra-classy Angel’s Share (awarded #2 of 'The 25 Best Cocktail Bars in America, 2010') by GQ Magazine and rated one of 'The Best Bars in America' by Esquire (who raves about their ‘impressive selection of whiskeys.’ The Japanese-style cocktail bar gets a whopping four-and-a-half star average from 439 Yelp ratings and although pricey at $14 for most pours, their 'Evidence' (an earl-grey infused vodka and ginger beer cocktail) gets almost ridiculously exalted reviews.
Another honorable mention is Terroir on East 12th, who makes Time Out New York’s ‘Best Bars of New York City’ list and a ‘Hallelujah!’ rating thanks to its ‘boundary-smashing collection of wine and top-notch grub’ and its super-knowledgeable waitstaff. It also gets a whopping five stars and an impressive 97% approval rating from Urbanspoon.
But the best bar in the East Village? This one’s tough. If you’re into cocktail bars, Death & Co. is a hands down winner. In July, it was labeled among some of the best bars in the world (yes, the entire world), placed #6 on GQ’s ‘25 Best Cocktail Bars in America,’ was awarded 'Best Cocktail Bar' by NYMag and scored a rave by The New York Times for their adventurous selection of ‘killer’ libations that make ‘any real cocktail aficionado want to order one of everything.’ Their drinks are ‘the most widely imitated in the country,’ and their atmosphere is described as ‘woody, understated classicism.’ Whatever that means. All we know is that their 'Whirling Tiger' (bourbon, apple and lemon juice, ginger syrup) is perfection.
As for EV’s best dive bar? This was considerably harder, but a collation of Yelp and blogger reviews, recommendations from countless news publications and raves from our very own NearSay staff revealed our favorite rundown watering hole Mars Bar as the clear winner. 'Critic’s Picked' and hilariously described by NYMag as scarred and mismatched like a dive bar should be (‘there’s always a bad smell over by the bathrooms; the drinks are stiff and the people are crazy’) and christened ‘the true standard bearer of East Village dive bar culture’ by The Wall Street Journal, Mars Bar is the epitome of grunge cool. It’s dark, tiny, dingy, crusty and doesn’t try to be anything else. Clubplanet warns first-timers that it’s ‘not for the faint of heart…so divey, you’ll probably need a bath to salvage what’s left of your inhibitions.’ But the drinks are cheap and potent, the clientele is loyal and it's been around forever.
Special mentions: the award for the 'Most Misunderstood Bar' in the East Village goes to our recently-departed Sin Sin (notorious for its noisy, dirty, news-making shenanigans), and the award for our favorite 'Hidden Gem' in the East Village goes to Blue and Gold (you can't beat $3 single malt scotches and $5 high-end whiskey on the rocks).
The Best Bars in the East Village:
McSorley’s is located at 15 East Seventh Street, near Third Avenue.
Angel’s Share is located at 6 Stuyvesant Street, near Third Avenue.
Terroir is located at 413 East 12th Street, near First Avenue.
Death and Co. is located at 433 East Sixth Street, near First Avenue.
Mars Bar is located at 25 East First Street, near Second Avenue.
Sin Sin was located at 85 Second Avenue, near Fourth Street.
Blue and Gold is located at 79 East Seventh Street, near Second Avenue.
